


Making Mirrors

by CanadianCole



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Feels, Gen, Manga, Mentions of Suicide, Platonic Relationships, Season 0, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-04-23 11:24:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14331426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianCole/pseuds/CanadianCole
Summary: After receiving an unexpected gift from his father, Ryou starts hearing the voice of his late sister. The mysterious powers of the ring fall into Ryou's hands, causing him to face his past and himself.





	1. Chapter 1

_Put on the ring, big brother._

That voice…

Brown eyes snap open, darting around in a panic. Ryou sits up, his body covered in a cold sweat as he grips on the blanket. His panicked gaze is met with the stillness of night. As he comes to his senses, nothing jumps out as suspicious or out of the ordinary. Everything in his room is where it should be. Sighing quietly, Ryou lies back down, his head sinking into his pillow.

He had the dream again.

Ever since his last birthday, he’s been hearing her voice when he sleeps. An ache seeps deep within his chest as Ryou tries to recall the sound. Yet, as always, it slips away. Just a whisper cascading deep within his mind. A pale hand reaches forward to the nightstand, grabbing hold of a picture frame. The subjects in the picture appear to be a happy family.

There’s his father, mother, sister, and himself, all giving smiles he hasn’t seen in years. Not since he lost his mother and sister in that car wreck. While his father still lives, Ryou never sees him anymore. The man’s busied himself with his work. Not that Ryou blames him, he wishes he could drown himself in distractions too. He looks down at the photo, longing for his mother and sister to smile at him again. To hear them laugh, to hear them call for him…

_Ryou._

Body tense, Ryou snaps his head around. He heard it, he heard her again.

“It must be the lack of sleep,” he reasons, voice quiet.

Of course that’s the problem, he hasn’t had a decent nights sleep in weeks. How could he? Being haunted by memories of his late sister is taking all rest away. Each and every night. But what he wouldn’t give to keep hearing her voice. That’s the worst part for Ryou. He yearns for these dreams, to latch onto the memories he has of his dear twin sister. And yet, every time he wakes up, he feels it all slip away.

What started this? He knows he used to sleep, at least better than this. Ryou had even convinced himself he grieved naturally and was moving on. What’s happened? Why is he being haunted like this, now of all times?

A soft twinkle resonates within the room. Like a gentle breeze flew past delicate wind chimes. Ryou turns his head, his gaze falling across the room. Shimmering in the dark is the golden ring his father got for him. It hangs up on the wall above his desk, completely still.

That’s right, the package had surprised him. Ryou was expecting a card with maybe some extra cash inside, the usual kind of ‘care package’. It had lifted his spirits to see such a pretty artifact inside the package.

“And you did write a nice card.” Ryou smiles to himself. “It is an extraordinary gift, but I still would have preferred seeing you in person…”

He sighs quietly, slowly climbing out of his bed. The wood floor sends chills through his feet, causing him to wait a minute before continuing. What time is it? Ryou looks at the clock. 3:45. Another sigh escapes him as he rubs the bags under his eyes. This’ll be another sleepless night of many.

“What’s one more night? I’ll manage.” He walks across his room before stopping in front of his desk. Ryou picks up the card.

“Another year has passed and I couldn’t be more proud or impressed by the man you’re becoming. Keep up the great work in school,”

Yes the usual pleasantries. But this time his father really seemed to think out the card he wrote for him. For it continues, “I know I’ve been absent for longer than originally planned. For that, I am truly sorry. This year I’m going to do better by you. I promise I’ll come home more, son. I love you.

Happy birthday.” 

A small smile tugs at Ryou’s lips. He does hope his father will hold true to his promise. But a bitter part of him doubts anything will change. It’s easy to make promises from miles and miles away, after all. The ache returns, causing Ryou to grip his shirt tight. He’s just so… alone.

Yes he’s been lonely ever since he lost his family, since he lost her. She was his best friend. His dear twin sister. Fingers idly brush against cold metal and Ryou looks at the ring. Something about this relic makes him feel conflicted. There’s this unease about the object, like it’s almost alive, and yet Ryou finds himself inexplicably drawn to it. He thinks she would have found it pretty, especially when the gold surface reflects sunlight.

“I don’t… I don’t want to be so lonely anymore.” His voice is barely above that of a whisper as it trembles, yet it echoes in the dead, silent room. “I want to see you again, I want to talk to you again, Amane.” 

He wants the soul crushing loneliness to go away. What he wouldn’t give for the chance to see his sister one more time. Is she doing okay? Did she move on? Is there an afterlife for her soul to find peace in? Is she… is she really gone?

_The ring._

Ryou freezes in spot, fingers just barely brushing the golden surface. He swears he heard it again… is he really that tired? This can’t be a good sign. Hearing a voice once or twice, sure that’s exhaustion, but for a third time? His eyes glance back at the ring as a chill runs down through his spine. His gaze is caught by the eye rested at the very center. Now that he thinks about it, the dreams, the voices, it all started after his birthday.

That’s when he got the ring.

At first he thought of it as a dream catcher, from its shape. But instead of protecting him from bad dreams, Ryou’s starting to believe it’s causing them. He grabs the cord, lifting the ring off it’s hook. It dangles there, and he’s convinced the eye is staring straight at him. No, his exhausted mind is playing tricks. Sure he loves ghosts and all things spooky and creepy, but believing he has a haunted necklace from Egypt? That’s ridiculous. This isn’t some b- list horror. Ryou merely received an exotic gift from his guilt ridden father.

So why does he feel like he isn’t alone?

_Ryou… put on the ring._

He visibly shudders. This isn’t right, he needs to go to bed. His mind keeps playing tricks. There’s no one here, no one can be talking to him. He’s sleep deprived and it’s finally taking its toll. Ryou returns the ring to its hook and turns around. He’s going to crawl back into bed and let himself rest… 

_Big brother…_

Ryou stops. Slowly, he turns around. “Amane…?”

The wind chimes twinkle again. Ryou stays rooted in spot, staring at the golden ring. It rests there against the wall, unmoved. There’s no mistaking it this time. He can’t write this off on exhaustion. That was her voice. Amane… she’s speaking to him. She must be here, he heard her so clearly. 

Ryou grabs the ring again, the cold metal resting in his tight grip. His hands visibly shake as he stares down at the relic, unblinking. He stands there in utter silence. Waiting. He needs to hear her again. It must be connected with this ring, there's no other explanation. If he could just hear her again, just one more time… he doesn’t know what he’ll do, but he craves this.

_Put on the ring._

His body moves automatically, the cord slipping around his pale neck. Ryou brushes his long, white hair out of the way. The ring holds a weight, yet it’s not uncomfortable as it rests against his chest. It feels like a perfect fit. Timidly, he brushes his fingers against the metal, no longer finding the touch to be so cold. And yet, he doesn’t feel any different? Honestly, Ryou’s not sure what he was expecting.

Perhaps some glowing lights and an explanation or two.

Or at least for the ache to go away…

_Big brother… I want to see you._

Ryou grips on the ring tight. He swallows the lump in his throat and closes his eyes. “Amane…? Are you there?”

_Yes._

A shaky sigh escapes him, knuckles turning white. His body trembles, and yet his feet refuse to budge, for fear of interrupting whatever's happening. Is he… is he dreaming? No, no it can’t be another dream. If he wakes up from this… Ryou doesn’t want to think, he wants to hear his sister again.

“Amane what’s… what’s happening? It’s been so long- how are we communicating? I-It shouldn’t be possible...”

But it is. Is it… the ring? He slowly opens an eye, peeking down at the relic. His mind might really be pulling tricks on him, because he swears the ring is glowing.

That doesn’t matter right now. He’s doing it, he’s talking to Amane! Ryou can feel his whole body shake, having to brace himself on the table to stop from collapsing. This can’t be really happening, can it? This shouldn’t be possible but it is and it’s happening.

“Amane there’s so much I want to tell you so much has happened since-” he cuts himself off, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. “Amane I don’t even know where to start!”

She doesn’t answer.

“...A-Amane?”

His breathing quickens its pace, Ryou gripping on his chest. Did he miss his chance? Did he only have a small window to talk to her? No he couldn’t have ruined this that isn’t fair. No, no this isn’t happening what does he need to do to keep the connection going?

“Please tell me, what do I have to do? I-I didn’t get to say anything I wanted. Please tell me what I can do so we can keep talking.”

The stretch of silence is unbearable. He must have done something wrong. What is it? He put on the ring just like she said! What more is there? Brown eyes quickly dart around his room, searching for a sign. Bookcases filled with dvds and games, his shoes scattered on the floor, his favorite figurines sitting on his desk… but nothing to help him speak with Amane.

His gaze falls back to his clock. 4:27. Is he really losing it this late at night? Ryou’s body visibly deflates, feeling the life drain out of him. He should go back to bed.

Slowly he drags his exhausted body back to bed. As he sinks into the mattress his eyes droop heavy. Too many thoughts race through his mind, yet it all feels like white noise. Sleep begins to over take him, if only for the relief. The ache in his chest is just too much to bare.

He can’t go on with this anymore…

\---

Sunlight filters into the modest bedroom, causing Ryou to squint as he feels himself coming to. Waking up feels like a chore, his mind groggy and unfocused. What time is it? Tired eyes look for the clock. It’s 1:17 in the afternoon. Today’s a Sunday. Does he have any commitments planned?

No of course he doesn’t.

It’s for the best, with the shitty night he just had he’d have to cancel anyways. Ryou sits up and stretches. Memories of last night suddenly resurface, causing him to groan. That has to be the worst dream yet, if only because he remembers it so vividly. As much as he loves horror movies, he may have to cut back on them for the time being. Clearly they’re not good for his current mental state.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he gets up to start his day. Yet a weight around his neck causes him to pause.

He’s wearing the ring.

No that can’t be right, it was a dream, wasn’t it? But he’s only worn the ring once since he got it. He wanted to try it on after it arrived, but got a weird feeling. And it’s not like he can wear this out in public. That’d bring him too much attention and he’d rather avoid that all together. So how is it he’s wearing it now?

“Maybe I’m sleepwalking, it’s not like I’d know,” he reasons. “There’s no point to dwell on this. I should just get up and go about my day, yeah.”

He leaves the ring on as he makes his way to the bathroom. With sluggish steps he goes to the sink and turns on the water. Ryou just needs to wash his face. Just wash up and start the day fresh. No need to dwell on any morbid thoughts that persistently run through the back of his mind.

When he looks up at his reflection, he screams.

Staring back at him, isn’t quite himself. His reflection smiles at him, his features only the slightest bit different. He knows he’s always been rather feminine in his appearance, but not to this level. It’s the small details, like his features seeming, softer? However, the differences are mostly the eyes… they almost look red.

It’s him, but not.

It takes him a moment to realize. The dream last night…

“A-Amane?”

His reflection smiles more. _I meant it. I wanted to see you, big brother._

The voice from last night… that’s right she _had_ said she wanted to see him. He didn’t realize at the time. She meant go find a mirror! Of course that’s what she meant how else would they see each other? Was she waiting all this time for him to figure that out? 

Pale hands press against the reflective surface, his reflection mirroring his movements. “Amane I didn’t realize. I-I thought I was dreaming.” 

His voice cracks, all his desperation bubbling up to the surface. Though he can feel tears pool at the corner of his eyes, he doesn’t see them in the mirror. The smile stays in place, his sister’s smile. Ryou gave up too soon. He should have known. He should have kept trying. Teeth clenched, he bows his head as his body trembles.

_Ryou, I was hoping I could see you smile…_

His head shoots up, quickly standing up right. Ryou wipes the tears off his face, giving a shaky laugh. “I-I’m sorry Amane, I don’t know how to react. This shouldn’t be happening.”

The reflection tilts their head, eyes looking sad. _You don’t want to see me?_

“No! No that’s not it at all!” Ryou leans forward, eyes wide. “Of course I want to see you, I’ve wanted to see you every day since…” 

He bites his lip hard, averting his gaze.

_I wanted to see you too. And now we can._

Ryou hesitantly looks back at the mirror. She’s still there, smiling at him. How is this even possible? It shouldn’t be. His sister is gone. He’s been trying to accept that for years, this shouldn’t be happening. This is wrong it’s… his gaze falls to the ring. She’s wearing it too.

“It’s because of the ring.” He mutters, more to himself. “This is possible because of the ring.”

He touches the gold surface, Amane doing the same.

_That’s right Ryou. The ring is letting us talk to each other again. Isn’t that wonderful?_

It is. This is everything Ryou’s ever wanted. He should be over the moon with joy. And yet… something feels wrong. It’s almost too good to be true.

Ryou pinches his arm, and his reflection laughs.

_This isn’t a dream big brother._

“How do I know this is real?” he looks away again. “How do I know you’re really Amane?”

For the first time his reflection stops smiling.

Instead Amane has a thoughtful look on their face. Ryou looks back, almost afraid the silence means she left, but he sees the smile return.

_August 12th, I saw this cat on the way home from school today. It looked like it was wearing a tuxedo, you would have loved him. I know you’ve always wanted a kitten but because of mom’s allergies that wasn’t likely to happen. Maybe I should get a cat._

Ryou’s face is pale, brown eyes wide as he stares down at the sink. He remembers writing that letter. He’s been writing to Amane ever since she died. Does this really mean?

_February 23rd, I passed the park on my walk today. A lot of kids were playing and I remembered how much you loved the swings. You’d always ask me to push you higher and higher until my arms got tired. You always said you’d return the favor, but we’d go home before we could switch. I never minded though, it was always fun._

Tears overflow, pouring down his cheeks. His reflection mirrors his tears this time, yet Amane’s still smiling. She’s recounting his letters perfectly. He’s never shown anyone his notebook before. Is it true? Is this real?

_April 11th, I miss you Amane. I hope you and mom are at peace. Dad sent another care package, the post card had a pretty sunset on it I think you would have liked it._

Amane loved watching the sunset.

_Ryou, it’s really me… I’m sorry you’ve been all alone. You’re the best big brother anyone could ever ask for._

He stares at his reflection, and Amane stares back. This is real. There’s no other explanation he can find. He presses his hands against the mirror, Amane doing the same. They’re so close, she’s really here. Ryou never thought he’d get the chance to speak with her again. To see her again.

_You’re not alone anymore. Just wear the ring and we can speak with each other._

Just wear the ring? Ryou can handle that. He lifts it with his hands, staring at the eye in the center. It chimes from the movement, and for the first time that morning, Ryou smiles. Just wear the ring and he can talk to Amane. He doesn’t understand how it’s possible, but does he honestly care? No, this is too amazing to question. He can’t risk losing this chance. Just wear the ring.

Ryou nods his head. “Okay, if I wear the ring we can speak to each other. And to see you, I need a mirror.”

 _That’s right. And the more you wear the ring, the easier this will get._ Amane smiles wide. _Things can almost go back to normal Ryou! We can be together again, like we’re meant to be._

“And if I take off the ring… will you disappear?” worry flashes in his eyes. He’ll keep it on forever if he has to, but he needs to know.

Amane shakes her head. _No you don’t have to worry about that. So long as the ring’s near, I am too._

Relief washes over Ryou as he smiles again.

 _And you don’t have to worry about your privacy, I’ll be good._ She giggles. _If you ever invite someone cute over I’ll go._

Ryou’s face turns red. “I finally get to talk to you and you’re already teasing me, nothing's changed I see,” he smiles. “I’m glad you’re here, Amane.”

_I’m glad too, Ryou. Now go get something to eat you big goof. It’s so late already and you haven’t eaten anything._

“Right right I’m going,” he smiles, getting one last look at his sister before exiting the bathroom. “I hope you didn’t come back just to nag at me.”

_Someone’s got to look after you big brother. If it must be me than so be it._

Have someone to look after him. His heart swells at the thought. He won’t be so alone anymore… As he officially starts his day, Ryou can’t help but smile. Really smile. He can talk to his dear sister again. For once in his life things are finally looking up. He can be happy again...

And it’s all thanks to the ring.


	2. Chapter 2

“You wouldn’t last in a haunted house you’ve always been terrified of ghosts!”

Ryou laughs as he eats some popcorn. Beside him lies a pocket mirror. He picked it up about a week ago after discovering his connection with his late twin. It’s made seeing her easier than just relying on the bathroom or the mirror in the hallway. And it’s led to the best week of his life. At least in recent memory. He can pull out the mirror and see his sister’s smiling face. What more could he need to brighten his day?

_I was scared of them when I was a child! That’s normal. Just because you don’t fear anything doesn’t mean you get to mock me._ Amane huffs. _And wouldn’t it seem a bit silly to be afraid of ghosts now?_

That’s right, Amane would be considered a ghost now, wouldn’t she? Ryou looks at the mirror, and his sister stares back. They’re quiet for a moment until,

“Amane are you haunting me?”

She blinks twice. Suddenly they’re both laughing, and with the screaming in the background they both sound a little crazy. Their laughter dies down to giggling, and it feels so great to laugh. It reminds Ryou of when she was still alive. They’d talk and laugh through movies all the time, much to their parents amused annoyance. It’s hard not to, it always felt like Amane could just read his mind. Probably a twin thing.

_I’d make a terrible ghost. Look, you’re not scared in the slightest._

“Clearly you’re not trying hard enough.” Ryou eats some more popcorn. “I don’t think you’ve opened a single cupboard, let alone thrown a dish across the kitchen.”

_Well, not all of us spirits are poltergeists, Ryou, sheesh._ She giggles more.

Ryou laughs. “Alright I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

_Yes it was, you hurt my feelings you big bully. First you make me watch this cheesy flick and now you offend me._

“Hey this movies great, you’re only saying that because the lights are on. You’re not even getting into it.” Ryou argues. “This one’s a classic.”

_But it’s boooooring._ Amane whines, her face scrunching up in the mirror. _This family is dumb, the place is clearly a den of evil and they won’t do anything about it??_

“Well what would you do? They just moved in, they’re not going to get their deposit back you know. Houses aren’t cheap.”

_Sure, money matters when you’re dead after all._ Amane rolls her eyes. _I don’t know how you get so sucked into these kinds of movies. At least slasher films have action in them_.

Ryou snorts, flicking some popcorn toward the mirror. “Since when did you enjoy slasher movies? As I recall you’ve always been a huge baby when anything got even remotely creepy.”

_This is all you watch, gotta learn to adapt big brother. I’m sure if you ever watched, I don’t know, a comedy or something, I’d enjoy that too. Let yourself try new things Ryou_.

“If you want to watch a different movie all you have to do is ask.” He smiles. “I’ll pick up any movie you want, okay?”

Amane smiles at him from the mirror. _You don’t have to, but thank you Ryou._

“Of course I have to, I’m not going to make you watch only what I want. I’d be a terrible brother if I did that.”

She’s quiet for a moment. _Well maybe next time you go out, we can look at movies together? Maybe find one we’d both like._

Ryou smiles and nods his head. “Yeah I like that idea. I’ll just have to be careful not to talk too loudly, or people will think I’m crazy.”

Amane laughs. _I’ll remind you to be careful big brother. Don’t worry._

He wishes he could reach out and just hug his sister. But this is more than enough to make him happy. Ryou takes some more of the popcorn, and they return their attention back to the movie. All of this is possible because his father sent him the ring for his birthday. Did he know it could do this? Ryou doubts it. If it was common knowledge his father wouldn’t have been able to buy it just like that. It’s become less, well, creepy since he’s started wearing it. Though he still isn’t a fan of wearing it out of the house. He’s stuck with putting it in his backpack instead. The last thing he needs is a potential mugging for wearing so much gold out in the open. Or at least constant stares from strangers.

It’s been nice having someone home with him again. His routine of going to school and staying home feels less empty now. It makes the world of difference having someone to talk to. Little things like watching tv or picking out dinner is more enjoyable with someone else there. Having company makes things feel less empty. Ryou really was, admittedly, very lonely.

_I told you it was boring, you’re not even paying attention now._

Ryou’s snapped out of his thoughts, blinking a few times. “Hmm? Oh I guess I did tune it out there, my bad.

_Yeah that’s why I called you out on your boring movie._ She teases. _Alright so what else do you do with your time? I’m not holding you back because I’m a ghost in a mirror, right? Don’t let me stop you big brother._

“Hah no don’t worry, I’m actually this boring on my own.” Ryou rubs the back of his neck. He looks away from the mirror, smiling sheepishly. “Actually, I’m kind of… sorta um… I’m supposed to be in school today.”

His conscious has been eating at him slightly for ditching. At least he confessed. Though Amane’s probably going to be upset. He glances at the mirror and sees she’s looking at him, worried. _You okay? Are you sick? You should've stayed in bed then!_

“No, no I’m fine.  I’m healthy at least, don’t worry. I’ve just got more important things happening right now.” He smiles at the mirror.

How could he think to go to school when his sister is here? He just got her back, it didn’t feel fair to leave her behind at home like that. Maybe it’s him being selfish. It’ll be fine though. He doesn’t make it a habit to ditch from school, and he’s understanding all of his lessons just fine. It’s okay to take a bit of time off if it’s this important, surely.

Amane smiles up at him, though her expression remains concerned. _You shouldn’t use me as a chance to slack off, big brother._

“It’s fine I promise! It’s just been a few days I can catch up easily enough. I’m sure my teachers will be understanding.” He knew he’d have to defend himself, but Amane’s gotta understand. “I was hoping you wouldn’t pester me too much about it. Is mom in there with you?”

She laughs before trying to give him a more stern look. _She might be! Go do your chores, young man!_

“Oh no you tricked me. Now I’m going to get grounded.” Ryou’s laughing too, falling back on the couch.

_If you keep ditching school you will be!_ Amane giggles, trying to compose herself. _But big brother, you do know you can take me with you, right? If you’re ditching to keep me company just bring the ring to school. As long as you have the ring with you I’ll be hanging around._

Right, she had mentioned that before when he first asked. “Okay but it’s not that easy, sis. I can’t just go out in public wearing a big golden ring on my chest. Everyone will see it. I don’t want people staring at me, you know? And what if I get mugged? Look at me, the wind could knock me over.”

_You are kind of scrawny yeah._

“Gee thanks, I’m very convinced now to wear the ring outside.” He knows it’s true, doesn’t mean she has to be so honest about it. “Anyways, I would rather just stay here with you. I don’t want you stuck all alone… it’s not fun. And you’ll probably get bored.”

Amane’s quiet for a moment, and from a quick check in the mirror Ryou can see she’s deep in thought. She looks back at Ryou and smiles. _Go get your backpack._

“I’m sorry?”

_Come on big brother! Go get it I want to try something._

He’s a bit too confused to question her, so Ryou gets to his feet and makes his way to his room. It doesn’t take long to locate the bag and he picks it up. “Alright, now what?”

_Put the ring in the bag._

Why does she want him to do that? But instead of asking, he just does as instructed. Ryou removes the cord from around his neck, holding the ring close as he looks it over. It doesn’t look to be fragile, and he’s worn it around long enough to trust it’ll be okay in his backpack. Whatever Amane’s trying to prove, he at least doesn’t have to worry it’ll damage the ring.

He opens the bag and slips the ring inside. “Amane?”

_Okay good, can you still hear me?_

Ryou blinks, looking at the bag in his hand. “Oh um, yeah, I still hear you.”

_Perfect! See problem solved!_ She sounds quite proud of herself. _You can take me to school with you. No one has to know you have a mystical gold relic from Egypt if it’s hiding in your bag._

Oh! So that’s what she was testing. “That’s actually not a bad idea, I thought I had to wear the ring for you to be around?”

_I don’t really know how this all works either._ Amane admits. _But I figured if you couldn’t hear me you would have put it back on and we’d find a different solution together._

“This is good to know.” Ryou smiles before taking the ring out of his bag, holding it by the cord. “So we’re slowly learning it’s abilities together. But alright, yeah I can bring you to school with me. Though I doubt that’ll be too interesting for you.”

_Hey this could be good, now I won’t have to ditch school either! We can learn together like we’re supposed to!_ Amane sounds happy, her voice excited. _Now I won’t feel bad for keeping you stuck at home, and you won’t feel bad leaving me alone._

“I’m still worried you’ll be bored.” Ryou’s smiling more as he slips the ring back on.

_Nah, how can I be bored when I get to hang out with you? This has been so much fun Ryou!_

Smiling wide, Ryou sets down his bag before walking back to the living room. He flops down and gets himself comfy again. Though with the credits playing he realizes he missed the final act of the movie.

“It okay if I rewind?”

_Are you actually gonna watch this time?_

Ryou chuckles from her teasing tone, picking up the remote. “I’ll try to. I DO like this movie you know.”

_Could have fooled me._ Amane giggles. _But sure go ahead, big brother._

He smiles and rewinds through the movie. Man he really did space out, he missed more than he first thought. They sit together, chatting as they rewatch the flick. This time around Amane seems more into the movie. Maybe it’s not as boring as she first thought.

After the movie ends, Ryou catches himself yawning. He might take a nap in a little bit. Though he just now notices he left the mirror lying on the couch, a bit aways from himself.

Picking up the mirror, he properly looks into it. At first glance it would appear to be his regular reflection, but a deeper look does show the differences. It’s still a bit strange for him to see. Of course he’d notice the differences, it’s **supposed** to be him. His hair seems less unmanageable on Amane, but just as long, just as white. Maybe that’s one of the reasons Ryou looks so girly. And his face seems softer, rounder? That might be from all of Amane’s smiles. She always smiles when Ryou checks on her. The biggest difference is in the eyes, however. The first time he saw Amane he swore he imagined it, but they really do look almost red. Is it because she’s a spirit now?

It’s like a reminder that she isn’t supposed to be here.

_Ryou why do you look so sad?_

He blinks before smiling again, holding on to the mirror. “No, sorry, I’m not sad. It’s the opposite really.”

She doesn’t look convinced. _Come on, you can tell me! You can tell me anything._

“I know Amane I know.” He smiles more genuinely. “I am happy, this is the happiest I’ve been in so long.”

Instead of looking happy like him, Amane gives him a sad smile. _You’ve been so lonely, big brother._

Ryou presses his fingers against the mirror, Amane mimicking his movements. He looks away, but knows Amane’s still staring. She shouldn’t have to worry about him, he’s the older twin. If anything Ryou should be worrying for her sake.

_It’s okay Ryou, you’re not alone anymore_.

He looks back at the mirror. Amane’s smile is as warm as the sun. _You have me now. I’m here with you, big brother._

Ryou smiles. He does have her now. That painful ache that’s been in his chest lessens whenever he sees her smiling face. His free hand grabs the ring as Amane does the same. They’re connected. By some miracle Ryou can talk to his sister again. He’s always going to be grateful.

“This is so great Amane.” Ryou smiles at the mirror, he can’t help but feel nostalgic. “It really is just like when we were younger. Remember when you climbed into my bed and we stayed up all night talking? Mom was so mad the next morning.”

Ryou and Amane laugh. _Of course she was mad. We were supposed to be sleeping_.

“Yeah but one sad look from you got her to forgive us easily.” He chuckles, shifting to lean back more comfortably on the couch. “You could get away with murder with those puppy eyes of yours.”

_I don’t know what you’re talking about._ She grins. _I don’t remember ever using my charms to get out of trouble._

“Yeah? Well then what **do** you remember?”

His smile drops as Amane falls quiet. She has a contemplative look in her eyes, as if she’s thinking hard on what to say. Did Ryou say something wrong?

_...I don’t know._ Her voice is soft, had Ryou not been paying full attention he may have missed her confession.

She doesn’t know? Are her memories missing? He holds the mirror close, gazing down at his sister with concern. “Amane?”

_I’ve… been remembering things based off your letters._ She admits, eyes avoiding his. _I didn’t realize how jumbled and incomplete my memories were until I actually_ **_tried_ ** _to remember..._

“Amane… I had no idea, you could have told me sooner.” His heart clenches. Ryou genuinely didn’t know.

She smiles sadly. _I’m sorry Ryou, I didn’t want you to worry or be sad. Talking to you has helped me remember some things. I thought I could get more memories back without having to worry you. But I don’t wanna lie to you, big brother._

Ryou hugs the mirror, or more so holding it close against his chest. It’s not the same as a real hug, but it will have to do.

“I’m your brother, you can tell me anything, Amane.” He says quietly, slowly looking at the mirror again. “I’m sorry that you can’t remember. But if you want I can tell you. I can tell you everything.”

His eyes are glossy as tears prickle in the corner of his eyes. Amane’s expression must be mirroring his, for she’s crying to.

_I-I’d love that Ryou, thank you_ . Ryou rubs his eyes so Amane can do the same. _You really are the best brother I could ever ask for._

_Thank you for not being upset with me…_

“Amane I would never be mad at you!” was she really afraid he’d be like that? “I’m just happy you’re here. I was worried it was too good to be true. But if the worst thing is I have to help you remember what it’s like to be alive that’s fine. I’ll help you Amane!”

She’s quiet. Ryou can’t read her expression at all. Did she think he’d turn his back on her? She must have been so scared this whole time. Of course she has she’s a ghost- a spirit? Hell he doesn’t even know. He needs to be more considerate, he’s got to be better for he-

_Thank you, Ryou._

He looks back at the mirror. “I love you Amane.”

He’s going to reassure her as much as he can. They’ll get through this, together.

Amane smiles warm.

_I love you too, big brother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! If you made it to the end of the chapter I hope that means you enjoyed your read. The fic will be updating every Tuesday and Saturday so be on the look out during those days if you wanna read more


	3. Chapter 3

“Amane I’m home!”

Ryou smiles as he steps into his apartment. He grabs the ring from inside his backpack and slips it around his neck. Amane’s laughs echos in his ears and he smiles brighter, grabbing his pocket mirror. She’s smiling back at him.

_Welcome home big brother! How was your day?_

He knows Amane’s with him so long as he has the ring, but this kind of conversation is very comforting. Ryou recounts his day to his sister. Though nothing interesting really happened. He went to school, turned in some papers, had a test he thinks he did well enough in, that sort of thing. But Amane listens. She listens and talks with him. It’s such a minor thing, but it means the world to him.

_You know I could totally help you on those tests._

“Amane that’s cheating,” Ryou scolds, laughing. “I don’t need you whispering answers to me.”

_Come oooon it’ll be fun, it’s basically like you remembering anyways. I’ll only know what you studied._

“I’m not cheating, it’s fine sis. Come on I’m hungry, what do you think I should eat?”

He heads to the kitchen, dropping his backpack on the table. Ryou sets the mirror down next to it and starts raiding his pantry. Giving into his sweet tooth, he comes back to the table with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. He doesn’t need to look in the mirror to see Amane’s judgemental stare.

_You eat too many sweets, you gotta eat real food too, Ryou._

“It’s fine, mom, I’m not gonna ruin my appetite before dinner,” he snickers, properly setting up the mirror. “You didn’t seem to mind sneaking in cookies when you got to eat them too.”

She hmphs indignantly. _Yeah but we had mom to make sure we ate actual food. Do you even eat meat anymore???_

“I eat just fine, you really did come back just to nag at me.” Ryou takes a purposeful bite from his cookie, as if making a grand statement.

_Big brother you gotta take care of yourself._

“I do take care of myself.”

_Hardly._ Amane rolls her eyes before looking at Ryou. _You’re so skinny and frail looking, what if you start getting picked on?_

Ryou sits more tense, eating another cookie. “I won’t get picked on, people tend to ignore me all together.”

_I noticed…_ she’s looking at him. _But… it doesn’t look like you talk to them either._

“I’m in school, I shouldn’t be talking during class and stuff,” Ryou deflects the topic, not looking at the mirror. “I’d get in trouble.”

_Ryou…_

“I’ve already started ditching, I don’t need to get in trouble for talking during class-”

_Big brother come on…_

Ryou sighs, pushing his plate away. “...I don’t like… I don’t like the attention. There have been people who try to talk to me first, but I can’t reciprocate properly. It’s too overwhelming. I’m not… I’m still not used to it.”

It’s hard for him to admit this, but he can’t keep blowing off his sister when she’s worried.

_You’ve never had any friends?_

He starts fiddling with a few locks of hair. “I feel like they’re all teasing me… it’s hard to get over that.”

_Get over?_ She sounds more worried now. _Ryou, did they pick on you?_

“No, no they didn’t pick on me. It’s not like tha-” He glances at the mirror, and she’s looking him straight in the eyes. “...they used to make fun of my hair color. And I’d get comments for how long and girly it is… I didn’t know what to say, so they just kept picking on me… I ended up just keeping to myself and try to avoid attention.”

_Do they still pick on you? Is it still like that?_

“I don’t… really know?” Ryou admits, looking down at the table. “They bring up my hair a lot, and it feels like they’re just teasing me. I don’t like opening up to others. It’s… easier, being on my own.”

_Ryou, just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s right._

He grips on the ring. “...I know.”

They sit there in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say. It’s a bit awkward, but Ryou admits he does feel a little better. Opening up, even just the tiniest bit, to Amane isn’t so hard. He knows she won’t judge him. He trusts his sister. And she trusts him.

_Big brother, I want you to be happy. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you… and I know I can’t do much like this… but I want to be here for you now. If anything happens, you’ll let me know, right?_

Ryou looks in the mirror and sees his sister. His sweet, loving, sister. He can’t help but smile. “...yeah, I’ll tell you right away, Amane.”

She smiles back. _I want you to be happy, big brother. I want to make your wish come true._

His wish? “What you’re a fairy now? Did the ring make you a genie? Are you the genie of the ring?”

They both giggle, the tension in the room lifting. It’s sweet that she wants to help him so much, but surely she knows she’s already made his life brighter. Maybe he’s not the most social of teenage boys, and maybe he does shy away from attention. But right now he knows he’s already happier. And should he start getting harassed he’ll let her know. It’s… strange, having someone worry for his sake again. Strange in a comforting way. Ryou believes he can get used to this.

\---

_Where are we going again?_

Ryou slips on his shoes and slings his bag over his shoulder. Inside is the ring, so he and Amane can still speak. Though the mirror is being left behind, if only because it’ll look odd for him to be staring at himself and talking. He doesn’t need the unnecessary attention.

“We’re headed to a game shop down the block,” he smiles before heading out the door. “I haven’t checked in awhile, I wanna see if there’s anything new out for this game I like.”

_Ooh what kind of games? What do you play?_

“I like to play tabletop rpgs. They’re role playing games and a lot of fun.”

_Role playing games?_

“Yeah you make characters and go through a story set up by the dark master. Admittedly that’s the part I like to be. The dark master controls the world and the campaign that the adventures try to navigate through.”

_So you’re like the god of a world you made? That sounds intense!_

Ryou laughs, making his way to the store. “I guess that’s a cool way to put it, yeah.”

The door chimes as he walks through, and thankfully the store doesn’t seem to be too crowded. There’s a few people browsing around the different game displays. There’s a group of kids around his age that he passes, and he doesn’t really pay them any mind. Though one of them had some crazy hair, Ryou noticed at least three different colours in it. But he’s on a mission right now, and he can’t really judge anyone for having oddly coloured hair, can he? Ryou focuses on what he’s getting, now heading straight to the back corner of the store, knowing that’s where all the tabletop items are stored.

He and Amane keep joking around with each other, though it’s a bit tricky for Ryou. He’s trying to stay quiet as to not disturb the other shoppers. It’s not like he can explain that he can hear his sister’s ghost now can he?

There’s a shelf with figures on it, and the supplies needed to make or customize personal ones. Bingo.

“Probably one of my favourite parts is making the dolls,” Ryou says, eyes scanning over the case. “It makes the game more personal that way.”

His eyes catch his reflection in the glass, and he smiles. He can still see Amane. But strangely enough she doesn’t seem to be paying attention to him. Oh she must be bored from all his rambling. He does get excited whenever he gets to engage in his favourite game. Alright he’ll leave her be for now and gather what he needs. It’ll be less boring for her when they get home.

“Did you see any games that seemed interesting?” Ryou asks, walking back to his apartment.

Silence. Ryou’s starting to get worried. He didn’t pack the mirror so he doesn’t have a way to see how Amane is. And with her being so quiet he has no way of contacting her. Did something happen? Is it because he’s not wearing the ring? There haven’t been any problems not wearing it at school, but maybe he hasn’t worn it enough?

He picks up his pace, trying to get home as fast as he can.

The moment he’s in his apartment he pulls the ring out of his bag, relieved to see it’s still there. In a swift motion he slips the cord around his neck, the ring now resting against his chest. The weight of the relic is comforting and he calls for Amane.

“Sis? Amane? You okay?”

He goes and picks up the mirror to see if she’s there. Amane is looking at him, but her eyes aren’t focused. After a minute, it must register he asked her a question. Her eyes widen slightly, and she looks up through the mirror at Ryou.

_Hmm? Oh yeah I’m fine Ryou, just spaced out a little. Are we still at the store?_

“We just got home…” Ryou looks at the mirror, worried. “There something wrong?”

Ryou watches as Amane goes silent, looking lost in thought. There must be something important going on for her to be like this. She seemed fine earlier when they went out. But now she seems spacey and unsure. It’s like she has something she needs to ask, but won’t allow herself to do it. Amane’s never had that problem before...

_I’m sorry… I’ve been thinking a lot about what you’ve said…_ she begins to explain. _I’ve slowly been getting my memories back, from when I was alive._

Ryou smiles bright, holding on to the mirror. “That’s great! Is it from the stories I’ve been sharing?”

_Yes that’s been so helpful! Thank you for doing that for me_ . She smiles back, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. _But there’s… more._

He blinks, tilting his head to the side. “More? What do you mean?”

Her gaze looks to the side as she falls quiet again. _I… I’ve also been thinking about something else you said._

_You said… you’d help me remember how to feel alive._

Red eyes peer up at him, with an uncertainty and… fear? She’s struggling to admit this, that much Ryou can tell. He feels the urge to comfort her, he’s her big brother after all!

“I did say that, and I meant it,” he says without hesitation. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, please tell me, Amane.”

She’s staring straight at him. For a moment, a brief, quick, moment, he almost feels like he offered something he shouldn't have. But he dismisses that feeling as quick as it came. This is his sister. He **will** do anything for her.

_There is something…_

Again she looks away, her expression unsure. _I’ve been rebuilding myself. Trying to remember who I am with your stories and the letters. But I don’t think it’s enough._

_Maybe I could- no, no I can’t ask that of you. You’ve already done so much for me._

Ryou brings the mirror closer, eyes wide. “No what is it? Amane please tell me how I can help you.”

She looks at him. Their eyes lock for a moment before her gaze falls to the ring around Ryou’s neck. Amane bites her bottom lip, hesitant. _Maybe… if I could_ **_feel_ ** _alive, I could remember…? If I could walk out and feel the sun again._

Ryou furrows his brow. “How would that happen?”

_If you could… lend me your body._

His eyes widen. Like… possession? He looks at the ring, an unsettling feeling resting in his gut. Is that something this artifact can do…? So far it’s let him talk with his late sister and even see her, so would that be too far fetched? But beyond can he do this, it’s more **should** he?

_I-I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything!_ She hiccups, tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. _Please just forget I said that, I can’t ask that from you._

_I just wanted to feel the sun again…_

“Amane…” Ryou runs a hand through his long hair, his mind racing. He knows it’s not wise to let spirits take control of your body, there’s more than enough movies that revolve around that being a bad idea. But… but it’s for his sister. He could do this, for her. Only for her.

“Would it… it wouldn’t hurt, right?” He awkwardly shifts in his seat, avoiding her eyes.

When he looks back to her, she’s staring up at him, surprised. Neither know what to say, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence.

_Ryou, you don’t have to do this for me. I don’t want to be so selfish._

“If it’s for you, I don’t mind,” Ryou gives her a small smile. “I’ll admit, the idea is freaky… but if you need this to feel better and more like yourself, I’m willing to try.”

_I-I don’t know what to say. Are you sure? It’s your body, I feel guilty asking this of you._

Ryou nods his head, forcing away any doubts he may hold. Of course it’s okay. “I trust you.”

She looks up at him with wide eyes. It’s as if she has to verify for herself that he’s being honest. If anything her hesitation to accept this is setting Ryou’s mind at ease. This is Amane, his dear sister. He can do this for her.

_Big brother…_ tears fill her eyes as she smiles up at him. _Thank you_.

He smiles back. “Now, is this going to hurt or what?”

Amane laughs, the awkward air breaking. She sniffles her nose before answering. _No I don’t think it’ll hurt. It’ll be more like sleeping._

“I guess that makes sense.” Ryou rubs the back of his neck. “So think I should fall asleep or…?”

_That might help. Sorry I’m just as new to this as you are._ Amane gives him a sheepish smile. _Yeah so maybe try getting comfy in bed and I’ll take things from there. But we just got back home, we don’t have to do it now-_

“No it’s alright. It’s still light out so now’s a good time to try,” Ryou smiles, pushing back his nerves. “And if we can’t get it to work, we’ll have the rest of the day to figure something else out, you know?”

If he doesn’t do it now, he might get cold feet. Amane smiles a bit. _...okay, alright let’s give this a try. Thank you, Ryou._

He nods as he rises to his feet. The ring shifts from the movement. It's strange, up till now he’s hardly noticed the ring as he’s worn it. Generally it sits comfortably against his chest. Yet now as he’s walking to his room, it feels oddly heavy. Almost as if it’s weighing him down. It's probably just nerves. Yeah, he’s just wary about what he and Amane are about to try. It’ll be fine though. He’s got nothing to worry about.

Ryou trusts Amane.

Now in his room, Ryou climbs into bed and lies down. He rests the mirror on his pillow and rolls to his side.

“So I just gotta fall asleep.”

_Take as long as you need, big brother. There’s no rush._ Amane’s smiling wide in the mirror. _You’re too good, you know that right?_

“Never for my sister,” he smiles. A yawn escapes him, he must actually be tired. “What are you going to do while I’m out?”

He rubs his eye as Amane thinks over her answer. _Probably walk around? I won’t stray far of course but maybe I’ll see things that’ll trigger memories? That’s why I got the idea, when we were out earlier some things looked familiar._

“Hmm yeah, that makes sense.” He yawns again, pulling up the blanket. Ryou didn’t realize just how tired he actually is. It’s like he could pass out at any minute. But he’s still nervous, even as his heavy eyes begin to droop.

“Will you be here when I wake up…?” he asks quietly, right as the last of his consciousness slips away.

_Yes._ Her voice is soothing, gently lulling Ryou’s unconscious mind at ease. The mirror rests in their pale hands, and the spirit sees their own reflection for the first time. A razor sharp grin stretches unnaturally against her face.

“Sleep well, big brother.”


	4. Chapter 4

What happened…?

Brown eyes slowly open. Looking around, Ryou groggily gives himself a minute to adjust. It feels like he’s been sleeping for hours. Yet right as he decides to sit up proper does it hit him. His body  **hurts** . All his muscles ache from even the slightest movement. But he forces himself to sit up. A mistake. Just what happened last night? The last thing he remembers is talking to Amane about… what did they talk about?

They had gone shopping together. It seemed fine till a bit into shopping, she was acting kind of off. So he asked her what was wrong- oh, that’s right, she took control of his body yesterday.

It  **was** yesterday, right?

Ryou grabs his phone, relaxing when he sees the date. He sinks back into bed, flinching slightly as he does. Right, so Amane had control of his body. What did she do? Run a marathon? Get hit by a bus?

His eyes fall on the mirror next to him. “Amane?”

_ Morning big brother, did you sleep well? _  She smiles. 

“I’m not sure? I woke up really confused.” He rolls to his side, trying to get comfortable. “And I ache so bad, what did you do yesterday?”

Amane looks at him worried.  _ You’re sore? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to push you so hard. I guess I got too excited… it was fun, getting to run around again. _

“Am I really that out of shape?” Ryou chuckles quietly. “I’m glad you had fun though, what all did you do? Don’t tell me you got hit by a car, because I definitely feel it if you did.”

_ Oh no no! I was going to walk around like I planned, but walking turned into running. I found a park and it reminded me of when we’d play there so I ran around. At some point I found this huge tree and I had to climb it. Course I jumped down afterwards and ran off to the next thing that got my attention and- _

He laughs more as she rambles off. “Whoa okay wow, that’s definitely the most exercise I’ve gotten in years. I’m absolutely out of shape no wonder I ache.”

_ That’s sad Ryou, you should go out more! _ Amane smiles.  _ It’s so fun, and the sun feels so warm. And the wind! Rushing past like that it’s so great. All the sights and all the smells! I… I missed it a lot. _

Ryou looks at the mirror. She must have had a blast with that small dose of living. He’s never considered what it’d be like to just… exist. No senses, no connections to anything. Just being  **there** . “It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Did it help you?”

_ Yes _ . she beams up at Ryou.  _ Thank you for that. I didn’t really get more memories or anything, but it was… nice _

He idly fiddles with the ring, which is laying next to him on the bed, the cord still around his neck. Looking back on his memories is strange, it doesn’t feel like he slept. There’s just… a blank spot in his memories? Like he did fall asleep, but at some point it turned into nothing. It’s a little unnerving, losing control like that. But it’s okay, it’s okay because it’s for Amane.

“I’m glad it helped you, if at least a little bit.” He rolls on to his back, looking up at the ceiling. 

_ It was more than helpful, you’re the best brother ever. _

Ryou smiles. “That’s what family’s for right? Or at least, I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re for…”

From the corner of his eye he can see Amane looking at him, concerned. Maybe he shouldn’t press on this topic. He should just change the discussion for now and-

_ Ryou… dad doesn’t come by and visit much, does he _ . Amane cuts him off, her voice solemn.

His heart clenches, but Ryou puts a tired smile on his face. “No he’s… very busy. You remember how often he’d go off for digs in other countries?”

_ Vaguely, that might be why I don’t really remember him at all? I hardly recognize him in the picture. _

That doesn’t surprise Ryou, they both were raised more by their mom when she was alive. In fact one time his dad did come home to visit, Amane got spooked by the strange man in their house. It’s kind of sad to think about. 

_ But you think he’d come by more to see you. _

Yeah one would think that. “It’s alright, I know how important his job is.”

_ You’re more important! _ Amane’s anger catches him off guard.  _ How can he leave family behind like that? He should be here with you. _

Ryou’s chest aches. His hand rests on his chest as he ignores the sting of tears prickling the corner of his eyes. “....I know. I know he should be here, I know he should come see me. But that’s just not how it is. He chose to bury himself in work miles and miles away from here.”

_ It shouldn’t be like this. You shouldn’t have been left alone… _

He wipes the tears from his eyes, rolling back to his side. Looking at the mirror, Ryou can’t help but smile despite the pain in his chest. He grabs the ring, pulling it closer. “But it’s thanks to him I can see you again.”

Ryou wouldn't be able to talk to Amane if he hadn’t gotten the ring. It’s the best present his father could have ever given up, accident or not.

“It’s worth it, I think” he lies back, head resting comfortably in his pillow. “I’m not alone anymore. I have you again, Amane.”

She looks up at him, again her expression hard for him to read.  _ I’m glad, that we’re together again. _

_ But I hate how sad you’ve been, big brother… _

“Some of that’s my own fault.” Ryou sighs. “You’re right, I haven’t been very social… I could be trying to talk to people. But still it’s just… hard.”

_ You just gotta find people that like the same stuff you do! Like horror movies or a hobby! What do you like to do? _

Ryou’s eyes flicker to his shelves, finding the custom dolls he’s built himself. His favourite ones at that. “Well, I really like playing Monster World.”

_ Monster World? Oh, oh that’s the game you were shopping for the other day, right? _

“Yeah it’s my favourite game.” Ryou smiles. “I like getting to control the story and having others try to figure out their way through everything. Especially when they fall for your traps… if I had people to do that with, I mean.”

Amane’s grinning in the mirror.  _ Yeah that’d be so much fun! You should try and find more people that like to play games. That’s an easy way to make friends right? _

He smiles a bit and nods. “That does sound nice…”

_ There you go, and I’m gonna be here to support you big brother! Go out there and make some friends! I wanna watch you play your favorite game! _

“Yeah? That reminds me, there’s something I haven’t shown you.” He sits up, flinching slightly as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. “I might need a minute though.”

_ If you’re still hurting stay in bed you goof! _

Ryou stands up after a minute, adjusting the ring so it hangs straight. “I’m hungry too, so it’s for the best I get up now.”

He picks up the mirror, seeing Amane huff up at him. 

_ Fine, but you gotta take better care of yourself. _

“I know I know, I’ll try to be better.” He chuckles, walking out of his room and down the hall. 

He walks to a door and smiles when he opens it. Inside is a table with a large display of a kingdom and forest, with cases of figures and accessories propped up against the walls. Ryou walks around with the mirror, intending to give Amane a full view of the room, even if he’s aware that’s unnecessary to do so. It just feels polite.

“This is my game room, I haven’t really been in here much lately.” Ryou explains. “I was going to show you this the other day, but I forgot when we got home.”

_ I’m sorry it’s cause I was acting weird. _

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad you told me what was on your mind.” He smiles. “And I can show you it now.”

_ It’s really cool, and you have so much stuff for the game! When did you start playing? _

“I actually got into Monster World when dad got it for me. And over the years he’s sent me a lot of expansions for it.”

_ Guess that’s something _ . She mutters.  _ Is that why some of the dolls look different? Cause they’re from different games? _

Ryou sits down, propping the mirror up on the table. “Yeah, but I also learned how to make them myself. It’s probably obvious which ones are my first attempts heh.” 

_ You can make them? That’s so cool! _

His pale face turns pink from the praise. Rubbing the back of his head, he gives a sheepish smile. “Thanks, I guess with all the free time I’ve had I’d try to get good at something.”

Rumbling from his stomach cuts him off, Amane now laughing at him.  _ Alright, brother I think you should finally go get something to eat. _

“Right, foods important isn’t it?” 

He puts a hand on his stomach before getting up. Grabbing hold of the mirror, Ryou and Amane take their conversation to the kitchen. Overall, the pain in his body has lessened a bit. Hopefully things will continue to get better over time. But right now, he’s going to focus on getting some food. He’s starving.

\---

“Alright it’s done.”

Ryou puts down what he was working on, heading out of his game room an back down the hall. In his bedroom there’s the ring, resting on the hook above his desk. He told Amane he was going to work on something secret and that he’d get her when it was ready.

“I hope you weren’t too bored sis.” He grabs the ring, slipping the cord around his neck. “But I’m done now.”

_ Do I get to see the surprise? I’ve been sitting in so much suspense! _

Ryou laughs. He pulls out the mirror so he can properly see her. “Yeah yeah, come on it’s this way.”

Back in the game room, Ryou goes over and pulls up two identical dolls. One of them is his own character, the White Mage Bakura. And the other…

“I made you a doll too.” Ryou smiles, holding the twin dolls in front of the Amane. “We can be mages, together.”

The dolls are nearly identical down to the wire. With only their eyes being the noticeable difference. Ryou’s doll has warm brown eyes, while Amane’s are a vivid red. He smiles at the mirror, waiting for Amane’s reaction to her surprise.

She stares at the two figures, eyes wide and speechless. 

Ryou isn’t sure if that’s a good thing. “Do you not like the class? Sorry I guess I should have asked what you’d prefer but I wanted to surprise you. And I thought since we’re twins it’d be fun to have similar characters and-”

_ Big brother I love it. _ Amane says with a warm smile.  _ I didn’t think you’d make a piece for me. I’m so happy. _

“Of course I wanted to make a doll for you, you seemed interested in the game and you’re important to me.” Ryou smiles, placing the two dolls down together on the table. “And it shows we’re together again…”

_ This is so sweet, thank you so much. _

He sits down at the table, a small smile on his face. It’s a bit awkward being so honest like this, but it’s getting easier. And he can’t help it, having Amane here has made his life so much brighter. Seeing the two dolls together, his heart feels lighter. It’s like he has the matching set, instead of just one lonely piece.

Glancing at the mirror, he sees Amane looking up at him, her expression determined.

_ Ryou… I’m going to make you happy. That’s a promise! _

Amane declares this with a strong conviction. Her huge grin is infectious, Ryou can’t stop smiling back at her. He knows if she had a body of her own, they would have pinky swore on this. Just like when they were kids.

_ Now what do mages do? How do the characters work? _

“Alright let me start from the beginning then, I’ll explain the game proper to you. Since someone stopped paying attention last time.”

_ Oops. _

As the two sit in the game room, Ryou explaining in better detail about the game, he can’t help but smile. There’s a warmth in his chest, where the ache used to reside. Amane promised to make him happy. And he’s already so much happier. These past couple months have been more lively than the last few years. Ryou’s not alone.

No, he muses as Amane starts picking up on the rules and asking different questions. He has someone who cares about him. And maybe, just maybe, he can start living happily.

He’s not alone anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

At school, Ryou promised that morning he’d try to socialize today. Yet as the first hour passes, he hasn’t made any progress in the slightest. He knows it’s only a matter of time until Amane starts asking him when he’d try. Right now he’s sitting at his desk, nervous. The teacher’s run out so the class is having a bit of a break until they return.

_ Big brooooother, you promised you’d try today.  _

He fidgets with his pencil, not looking up as he speaks quietly. “I know… but… I think we’re fine on our own we don’t really need to try.”

_ Is that what you really want? _

Even though he can’t see her, he knows she’s looking at him with worry. “...I’ve been alone this long right? It wouldn’t be anything new for me.”

She’s quiet for a little while.  _ Brother… trust me, you don’t want to be alone. This is enough proof you need others! Come on at least try, you promised. And listen, if it  _ **_does_ ** _ go downhill I can take over and you won’t have to be embarrassed. _

“Is that supposed to motivate me?” He asks dryly. “Now it sounds like something  **will** happen.”

_ It’s cause you’re hesitating, I’m trying to reassure you. It’ll be fine, I won’t let them tease you, Ryou _ .

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. Ryou does want to try, but he doesn’t even know where to start. He looks around the classroom, hesitant. He’s too nervous. Maybe if he excuses himself he can go hide in the bathroom instead.

_ If you don’t I’m taking over and inviting random people over myself. _

Ryou stands up fast. “I’m going I’m going.” He leans against his desk, looking around some more. “But I don’t know who to talk to…”

“You can talk to me.”

He jumps, startled, looking back with wide eyes. Behind him is a girl from his class. She has short, icy blue hair and dark yellow eyes. Of course he recognizes her, but he’s admittedly terrible at remembering names. All he can do is stare at her, face flushed from embarrassment.

She smiles at him, raising a hand. “Hi, Bakura.”

“H-hi, um, I’m sorry but, d-did you hear that?” 

“Only a bit because I was nearby. I don’t think anyone else would have heard you though,” she giggles a bit nervously. “Did you need something? If it’s homework answers, I can’t let you copy, but I could help and explain stuff to you.”

“Oh, no it’s okay, that’s not it heh. Don’t mind me,” he sits back down, resting his arms on his desk. Ryou stares down at his hands, clearly still embarrassed.

She looks at Ryou with a worried smile. Walking over she stands next to him, leaning over a bit. “Hey are you okay? If you need help with anything you…” she trails off, face turning pink as she covers her mouth, looking to the side. “You can talk to me.”

Ryou looks up at her confused, tilting his head.

She stands up straighter, embarrassed. “As class representative I mean! Y-yes I feel like I’m responsible for everyone here! So, I want to help you if I can, Bakura!”

_ It doesn’t count if I’m the one teasing you, right? _

He ignores his sister’s remarks, looking at his classmate with a shy smile. “It’s fine, really. But well… um, maybe I could bother you?”

“Yes! Of course!” Her face turns red as she grins, pulling up her chair to sit next to him. “How can I help you, Bakura?”

He sits a bit tense, her enthusiasm catching him off guard. He glances around, noticing a few other classmates looking over at him. Maybe this was a bad idea, he doesn’t want more attention. He should just-

_ Don’t lose your courage. It’ll be okay, big brother. _

Ryou bites his lip but gives a slight nod of his head. “Um, well first…” he gives her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry but could you tell me your name? I-I’m not very good with names.”

“O-oh right!” she laughs nervously, holding a hand against her red cheek. “I’m Mei, sorry, I try to know everyone’s name cause I’m class rep and all ahaha.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mei.” Ryou smiles.

She giggles nervously as she waves her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too. So! What can I do for you?”

“Well, um, I don’t know if you’d be interested but… have you heard of Monster World?” He asks, hesitant. Ryou’s not sure if it’s a popular game or not. It could be considered old news by now and no one bothers with it anymore, knowing his luck.

“Monster World? Is that one of the card games that everyone’s playing?” She taps her chin, thinking. “Are you looking for someone to play with you?”

“I think you’re mixing it up with duel monsters. Monster World is a roleplay game.” He starts to explain, feeling a little more at ease. “One person makes a story, and the other players go through it. I have a few ready, but I haven’t had the chance to try them yet since I haven’t found anyone to play with…”

“It sounds fun!” Mei exclaims, her voice bubbly. “I’d love to try it out! How many people do you need? I could help you look for more players. We’re in a pretty big school surely someone else knows about it.”

He looks up at her with wide eyes, his smile wide. “Thank you!”

“Of course! Anything to help, Bakura. I hope we can become really good friends!” She blushes again, grinning.

_ That wasn’t so hard, was it? _ Amane’s soft voice asks, drifting in the back of Ryou’s mind.

It really wasn’t, much to Ryou’s surprise. And talking with Mei seemed to do the trick, cause soon a few other students come over to say hi. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but with Amane’s reassurance, Ryou’s able to keep calm and talk with his classmates. Maybe he doesn’t have to keep to himself as much as he first thought. Yeah he can do this, he can start really living his life. 

\--

“Ah well, come on in, everyone.” Ryou awkwardly opens the door to his apartment, inviting three other kids around his age inside. “It’s just me here so we don’t have to worry about being too noisy or anything like that.”

“Woooow you live in such a nice place, Bakura!” Hina, a girl with long black hair, exclaims. 

The other two nod in agreement. Kazuo, a boy with short and messy black hair, grins at Ryou. “So where’s the game? I’ve been dying to try it since you brought it up to us. Does it take long to set up?”

Ryou smiles and shakes his head. “It shouldn’t take too long, I got most of it ready. Come on, this way guys.”

Kazuo and Hina Suzuki both attend Ryou’s school. Hina’s in their grade while Kazuo is a year older. Neither are in Ryou and Mei’s class, but Mei and Hina have been friends for a few years now. Asking them to play was Mei’s idea, and both seemed really interested in trying out Monster World. So now here they are, all hanging out at Ryou’s apartment. He’s nervous, but also really excited. 

He leads them down the hall and into the game room. All three look in as if they’ve found the holy grail, utterly amazed at the display. Ryou sets his backpack down on a table before walking to a case. He opens the glass panel, smiling at his guests. 

“You guys wanna pick out a figure to use for the game?”

“Bakura this is so cool!” Mei squeals, skipping over to him. “Wow you have so many! Oooh this one’s so cute!”

“Does it matter which ones we pick?” Kazuo asks, looking at them more critically.

Ryou shakes his head. “No you guys can make your characters and the figure will be the representative for that character. We can customize them too, if you want.”

Hina’s standing by the gametable, looking at the castle intrigued. “This is so impressive. Did you build this yourself?”

“Oh um, I altered it at least. It was smaller in the set it came in so over time I’ve added on and changed things.” Ryou smiles, happy everyone seems so interested in the game so far. “But you’ll have to reach the castle to find it’s secrets.”

“It is on now.” Kazuo grins having picked out his doll. “We’ll find all your hidden secrets in there!”

“We’ll see about that.” Ryou smiles. “Alright, come over here and I’ll help explain classes, races, and everything else for making a character.”

“Oh! We should write this down then, right?” Mei asks. “Do you have any paper?”

He nods. “Yeah there’s some in my backpack.”

“I’ll get it for you!” 

Mei skips over to Ryou’s bag, looking inside for a notebook. Her eyes widen slightly, seeing the golden ring resting inside. “Oh wow that’s so pretty, you were carrying this around with you at school?”

Ryou’s eyes widen, quickly walking over and grabbing his bag. “Ah hah yeah um… m-my dad’s an archaeologist and is working in Egypt right now. For my birthday he bought me this and I’ve sort of been carrying it around as a good luck charm.”

“Bakura that’s so sweet.” Mei smiles. “But Egypt’s so far away.”

“Do you live here alone?” Hina asks, putting her doll on the table.

Ryou nods, grabbing his notebook from the backpack and setting it down. “Yeah pretty much. He’ll call to check in of course.”

“Oh Bakura…”

“Dude, think of the parities you could have.” Kazuo grins.

Mei huffs, placing her hands on her hips. “Bakura’s a responsible student, that’s why his dad trusts him so much. Unlike some people, he wouldn’t betray that trust, Kazuo.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” he flicks over Mei’s doll, laughing as she smacks his arm. 

Ryou watches them as they bicker with each other. He’s still not quite used to talking with so many people, but he won’t deny having fun. They’re all far more energetic than he is, especially Mei, but he doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. He likes their company, and hopefully they enjoy his, too. 

He blinks as Hina gently nudges him, looking at her. “Hmm?”

“Wanna start explaining the characters to us?” she smiles. “Is there anyone that uses magic? I like the idea of being a wizard or something similar to that.”

“Oh sure, there’s a few classes that can work for. I’ll explain all of them so you guys can make your choices.”

Mei and Kazuo come over as he starts explaining everything. He’s excited, Ryou’s going to get to try out some of his campaigns with other people. He’s smiling more relaxed as they make their characters and joke around. It’s so much fun that Ryou doesn’t notice Amane hasn’t said a word since they got home.

\--

“I roll!”

“Eighty-six, that’s a miss from the warrior.”

“Oh come on!” Kazuo groans, slumping against the table. “That’s the third bad roll in a row, these dice are loaded.”

Mei laughs as she picks them up. “I’m going to cover for our poor warrior,” she rolls the dice, getting a thirteen. “I think he just needs to work on his aim.”

Ryou laughs as he types into the laptop. “The knight hits, defeating the monster. You successfully rescued the merchant from their attacker and are rewarded with a sack of gold. The merchant responds with gratitude ‘Thank you, brave adventurers, for rescuing me.’ as he hands the Mage the reward.”

“You’re welcome.” Mei grins at Kazuo, who glares in return. “Loaded dice huh?”

He huffs, flicking over Mei’s doll again. “Clearly this game is rigged.”

“Don’t worry you’ll get better with practice.” Hina smiles, moving her character to be next to the merchant. “I ask the merchant if they have any information about the cursed King.”

“The merchant is quiet for a moment before considering his words. He says ‘beyond these woods lies a once prosperous castle, now left to rot, forgotten. Heed with caution, and always follow the path before you.’” Ryou narrates. “That’s all the merchant has to offer.”

“That’s some crummy cryptic advice. Didn’t even give us proper directions.”

“Maybe if you’d stop fumbling your rolls we’d get further.” Mei giggles before checking the time. “Oh shoot, it’s getting late. I don’t wanna go but mom will get worried.”

Hina looks at her phone, surprised. “When did it get so late? There’s no way it feels like we just started playing.”

“Can we continue this tomorrow?” Kazuo looks at Ryou. “We can pick up where we left off, right?”

Though a bit disappointed, Ryou can’t help but smile and nod. “Of course, these games can take a while but I have everything saved as we go. So if you guys wanna keep playing next time we can.”

“Awesome! My warrior clearly just needs to rest up and will kick ass next session.” Kazuo states. “A few bad rolls won’t knock us down.”

“Hmm we’ll see about that.” Mei teases, picking her piece back up. “This has been so much fun though! I just can’t wait to see what the mystery behind the cursed King is!”

“Want to give us any hints before we end today?” Hina asks, smiling at Ryou.

Ryou smiles, holding a finger up to his lips. “‘Fraid not, all I can say is you’re on the right track.”

“Oh come oooooon.” Kazuo whines, getting up from his chair. “You’re so cryptic this is gonna drive me nuts.”

“Don’t mind him, Bakura. Hina and I will figure it out for him.”

Ryou chuckles and nods. “I bet you guys will, thank you for giving my game a chance. It means a lot.”

“Of course! You made it sound like a lot of fun we just had to try it ourselves!” Mei grins, cheeks pink. 

Hina nods, the group making their way out of the game room and down the hall. “Yes it’s been a lot of fun, I’m really looking forward to playing again.”

He smiles, warm and delighted. His new friends like his game, he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Ryou stands by the door, waving as both Hina and Kazuo say their goodbyes. Mei lingers a bit in the doorway, a shy smile on her face. 

“Um, I just wanted to let you know that today really was a lot of fun. I’m glad we could hang out and play together.” she holds her bag with both hands, looking away with a blush. “And we can hang out more, right? As friends?”

Ryou quickly nods his head, a big smile on his face. “Yeah! Y-yes, yes I’d like that a lot, Mei.”

“Then I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Bakura!” Mei grins from ear to ear, blushing profusely. “Have a goodnight!”

She waves before running down the hall, Ryou watching from his door till she’s out of sight. A sigh escapes him as he closes the door, a small smile on his face. Friends. He actually has friends now. And it didn’t feel like they were ever mocking him…

_ So how’d it go? Tell me everything! _

Ryou visibly jumps, placing a hand on his chest. “Amane! You startled me.”

_ Ooops sorry, big brother. I can’t help it thought I wanna know how it weeent. It looked like you were having an easier time so I let you have fun. _

He walks over to the game room, grabbing the ring and his pocket mirror. Slipping the ring on, he smiles as he heads over to the couch. “You were right…. About everything. It wasn’t that hard once we started talking. It was a lot of fun actually. They picked up quick enough on how to play and have actually gotten pretty far in the campaign!”

_ I knew it. _ She smiles proud.  _ See you just needed a little push and some common ground. I knew you could do it. _

“Not without you, Amane.” Ryou smiles, lying back on the couch. The ring rests on the center of his chest as he gazes up at the ceiling. “...I really wanted this.”

_ Hmm? You mean people to play your game with? _

He’s quiet, watching the ceiling fan spin in circles above him. He did want people to play his game with him but it’s more than that. What he wanted… deep down what he really wanted was

“Friends.”

The isolation is over. No matter how many times he claimed he was fine, he really wasn’t. How could he be? Living day after day with barely any social interactions. This, this is what he really wanted. It’s so clear to see, now that he’s got a taste of it. But he’s scared.

“I want friends.” Ryou repeats, holding onto the mirror. “But from being picked on and too socially shy I couldn’t… and it’s so hard…”

_ But you’re doing it now, big brother! You’ve already got three new friends! _

“I know but… something could happen.” He closes his eyes, body tense. “I don’t… I don’t want to be left alone, again.”

He can’t bare the crippling loneliness, not again.

“I want to have friends, but I’m so scared Amane.” A few tears roll down his cheeks. 

_ Ryou…  _ Her voice is gentle and close.  _ I understand your fears, but you can’t let that fear control you. It was holding you back. You gotta keep facing the day and letting yourself live. _

He wipes his eyes, giving out a shaky laugh. “I-I know I’m being dumb, it’s just so much is changing in such little time I don’t really know how to process all of this.”

Amane smiles in the mirror.  _ You should get some sleep. You’re right a lot has happened, so rest up and recharge for tomorrow yeah? You’ll get to see your new friends again! _

Ryou smiles, finding himself to be too comfortable to argue with her. Sure, he should get up and go to bed properly. But he’d rather just stay on the couch and snooze for a while this way. There’s no harm in that, really. He yawns, letting his head sink against the plush cushion. Just a small nap-

_ Come on, big brother, go sleep in your room. _

“But I’m comfy here,” he protests, turning to his side.

_ You won’t be if you sleep here, come on, you goof go to your room. _ Amane laughs.  _ It’ll be better for you that way. _

Ryou sighs, slowly sitting up. “Alright alright, I’m going.”

He gets off the couch, stretching a bit. Amane keeps pushing him to be healthier, to be better. He can’t really get mad at her for that, since she’s doing it for him. And it’s working too. Ever since she’s re-entered his life, things have been going so much better. He’s grateful. 

In his room, Ryou allows himself to flop onto his bed. As he sinks into the mattress, he can’t help but think Amane’s right. He would have woken up sore if he chose the couch instead. Ryou removes the ring, laying on the pillow beside him before slipping under the covers. It takes him a minute to get comfortable before he feels himself starting to drift off to sleep. 

_ I’m so glad you’re happy, big brother. _ Amane whispers.   _ You deserve this. _

“It’s all thanks to you...” Ryou mutters, curling up under the blanket. He closes his eyes, ready to let sleep claim him. “G’night Amane.”

_ Good night. _

Amane watches as he falls asleep, looking at peace. There’s a noticeable change in Ryou’s behaviour from when he first put on the ring. In a couple months, he’s gone from a walking zombie, to a teenage boy with a skip to his step. It’s almost as if he’s the one that learned to be alive again. One wouldn’t even recognize him now, not with how much he’s smiling. It’s funny how just a little bit of opening up can change a person. His whole life's been turned for the better. He has friends, he has a family. 

He’s happy. 

As he falls into his dreams, Amane’s gentle voice hums like a wind chime in the back of his mind.

_ Remember to keep your friends close, dear brother. _


	6. Chapter 6

_ Alright time to wake up, big brother! _

Brown eyes flutter open, Ryou taking a moment to regain his senses. It’s always so jarring, getting control back from his body. It’s not the same as waking up. No, it’s more like being jutted back into his day. He floats along in nothingness, like he exists yet doesn’t. Ryou blinks twice, scratching the top of his head as he looks around.

The game room? He remembers Amane asking to take control again. Ryou figured she wanted to go for a walk or something similar, so he’s glad she at least brought him home. He didn’t expect to be in his game room, though.

“What did I miss?” He asks, noticing some of his craft supplies lying on the table in front of him. He looks at his hands, noticing they’re covered in paint. 

_ I may have tried something new. _ Amane smiles.  _ Tell me how they turned out! _

How they turned out? Ryou looks and finally notices what Amane’s been hinting at. There’s a figure resting on the shelf that he’s never seen before. Did she really?

Amane made a doll? He picks up the doll, looking at it in awe. “Did you make this?”

_ Yeah, I found some of your tutorials and paid attention to the last few you made for your friends. _ Her eyes flicker to the case, wearing a proud smile.  _ Not too bad for a first try right? _

“It’s amazing!” Ryou smiles, sure he can see the knicks and rougher edges, but his sister made this. And it looks way better than the first few he tried making on his own. “That’s so cool I can’t believe you made one!”

His sister never ceases to amaze him. He’s so… happy, that she likes his hobbies. Did she want to surprise him like this? A warmth spreads through his chest as he idly fidgets with the ring. He really is so happy. The figure itself is very cute, it looks like they’re dressed as a mage. In fact the dark hair and brown eyes remind him of Hina. If she didn't already have a doll for her character, Ryou would ask if she’d want to borrow this one.

_ I’m glad you’re not upset I borrowed your stuff. _ Amane says, grinning sheepishly.  _ It just looked like fun and I wanted to try making one too. _

“Of course I’m not upset, what’s mine is yours.” Ryou smiles at the mirror, gently putting the doll back down on the shelf. “Feel free to make more if you ever want to. It’s so cool that you picked it up so quickly.”

_ I’m a spirit of many talents. _ She giggles.

Ryou’s gaze falls back to the mess on the table, letting out an amused chuckle. “Cleaning doesn’t seem to be one of them though.”

_...oops. _

“It’s fine I got it this time.” He stands up, starting to gather up the trash to throw it away. “Just try and maybe wash my hands first before giving me back control yeah?”

_ Right right, sorry, big brother! _ She laughs in his ears, not sounding the least bit apologetic.  _ I’ll try to be less messy next time, pinky promise. _

“You don’t have any pinkies, how can I trust your word?” 

_ Lock your pinkies together, I’m doing it with you in spirit. _

Ryou snorts, walking to the bathroom to wash off the paint. Now getting to see himself more proper, he notices Amane has paint along her cheeks too, and even some in her hair. He’s a downright mess right now, isn’t he. She must have gotten really into it.

“Also it helps tying the hair back,” he starts washing the paint out of his hair, putting it in a ponytail to show Amane. “Even the tiniest bit of paints gonna show up, our hairs stark white you know.”

_ I think it looks cool with a bit of paint in it.  _ Amane says, grinning in the reflection.  _ You look like a proper artist~ _

“I look like a mess.” He says, washing the paint off his face. Some red on his cheek comes off easy enough, and there's blue on his chin. And is that green on his forehead? He pushes up his bangs. Yep, that’s green. She clearly did not hold back in the creative process. 

_ Don’t give me that look, it was for art.  _ She defends.  _ So it wasn’t super easy to stay mess free, but the result looks good. You even said so yourself! _

He laughs, washing off all the paint from his face and hands. “Yeah you got me there. Honestly it looks like you had a lot of fun. I’m glad sis.”

_ It was a lot of fun, you get complete control in making them! I see the appeal I really do. It’s like you’re their god now mwhahaha. _

Ryou laughs, toweling his face. “Easy there, oh merciful goddess, you don’t need to start developing a complex now do you?”

_ Let me have my fun, big brother. _

“Sure, sure, but someone’s gonna have to keep you in check,” he laughs, walking back to the game room. 

As he cleans up the mess, with Amane helpfully bantering in the back of his mind, Ryou glances at the time. It’s later than he realized, he should get to setting up the game before his friends get here. Thankfully the mess was easy enough to clean, though he should probably change into cleaner clothes.

_ Think they’ll finally discover the secret behind the cursed King? _

Ryou finishes setting up the game board, the pieces set up exactly as their last session left it. He gives Amane’s question a moment to think it over. “Maybe? They’re already at the castle, but they haven’t found the right room yet.”

_ With Hina’s sharp eye I’m sure they’ll notice where to go, but if Kazuo keeps fumbling around they’re gonna be doomed. _

“That’s not nice, Kazuo’s been doing great lately.” 

_ Mmhmm, he’s lucky he’s got Hina and Mei, honestly. _

He laughs, starting to walk out of the game room to go change. “Don’t be so mean, Amane. His determination got them through to the castle in the first place after all.”

_ He got a lucky roll. _ Amane giggles, but stops at the ring of the doorbell.  _ Oh! Looks like they’re early. _

“Just a minute!” Ryou quickly heads to the door, opening it with a smile. “Guys hey, come on in.”

Mei greets him with a familiar blush and grin, walking inside first. “Hi Bakura! I love what you did with your hair, it looks so nice pulled up.”

His face turns pink, gently placing a hand on his head. Right he didn’t get the chance to change yet. Ryou glances away, a bit embarrassed. “Ah hah, thank you Mei. I was making something earlier and lost track of time.”

“You mean you’re not ready for us? Told you that you were too early, Mei.” Kazuo chuckles, slipping off his shoes. “I know you’re excited to see Bakura, but you could give him a minute to get ready.”

She blushes more from his teasing, giving Kazuo an annoyed pout. “We’re on time, and just barely from how much you were slowing down!” Mei looks back at Ryou, giving him an apologetic smile. “Should I have called in advanced to let you know we were coming?”

“No no, I have the game set up already don’t worry.” Ryou smiles. “Sorry I’m a bit of a mess.”

“You look great! I-I mean like usual ahahah,” she giggles nervous. “Oh! But you’re wearing the ring your dad got you! It looks so nice.”

“Yeah that things pretty cool.” Kazuo nods, walking over to get a closer look. “Though the eye in the centers kind of creepy, that an Egypt thing?”

“Kazuo! Don’t be so rude.” Mei scolds.

Ryou’s face is red and flushed from the attention. But he smiles, having slowly gotten used to his more energetic friends. Though speaking of, only Mei an Kazuo walked inside. He looks around, Hina’s nowhere to be seen. Is she running late?

“Where’s Hina?”

“Oh did she forget to tell you?” Mei looks back at Ryou, smiling. “Sorry she can’t make it this session, she has a violin recital coming up and has to practice more.”

That’s right, Ryou remembers Hina having mentioned something about the recital before. He can’t help but feel a little disappointed. “Ah right, right, I hope the practice is going well for her.”

Kazuo snorts, setting his bag down on the coffee table. “She tried getting time off today, but mom’s pushing her a bit hard for this one. Don’t worry once the recitals done with she’ll be back here figuring out all of your riddles and traps.”

Ryou smiles and nods. “Though I hope she has fun with the recital, it’s really cool she can play an instrument at all.”

“Yeah you should listen to her play sometime, she’s really good!” Mei smiles. “Though since she couldn't make it, I guess we can’t really continue the story, can we?”

“We could, but we’ll get lost after a minute. She was making the map of the castle layout while we explored it.” Kazuo shrugs, flopping down on the couch. “And she’d probably be upset that she missed out on ‘cool lore’.”

Ryou shifts a bit awkwardly on his feet, they usually go straight to the game when they come over. Maybe grab a few snacks first. “I have other games if you guys wanna play something. Or we could watch a movie?”

“Oh yeah that could be fun, what kind of movies do you own?” Mei asks, starting to look through the dvds on the shelf. “Wooow you have so many horror movies!”

Is that weird? They might think this is weird. Ryou rubs the back of his neck, looking elsewhere. “Heh yeah, I really like scary movies. They’re my favourite.”

“I like horror movies too!” Mei grins excited, grabbing a movie off the shelf.

Ryou blinks, surprised. He didn’t see that coming. “You do?”

“Yeah! The build up of suspense and all the different spooks and scares! And I really like it when they get creative with the ghosts designs, that’s always a nice treat.” Mei rambles on, clearly passionate about this subject.

Ryou just stares at her. Though before he can say anything Kazuo speaks up, looking a bit freaked. “Could we uh, vote on the movie?”

Both Mei and Ryou look over at their classmate. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of ghosts.” Mei says.

“L-look man I just don’t like messing with that stuff.” He says defensively, crossing his arms across his chest. “I’m not saying ghosts are real or anything it’s just freaky.”

_ I really wish I was a poltergeist right now. _

“Shush.” Ryou mutters before smiling at Kazuo. “It’s okay we can watch something else then. I do have some video games too, we could all play something instead. Though do zombie games freak you out?”

“No, that’s different if I get a weapon.”

Okay good, Ryou was worried for a second he wouldn’t have anything to offer. “Why don’t you guys pick out a game and I’ll go get some snacks? I was thinking popcorn.”

“That sounds great, Bakura!”

He smiles and heads to the kitchen, though he can already hear the two begin to bicker in the other room. It’s nice, being able to have friends over to hang out. His apartment seems less… empty. Ryou shakes his head, a happy smile on his face as he places the popcorn in his microwave.

_ I’m sorry Hina bailed, big brother. _

Ryou grabs a large bowl from the cabinet, setting it down on the counter. He speaks quietly, so the others can’t hear. “It’s alright, stuff like this is bound to happen. I’m happy Mei and Kazuo still came over even though we can’t keep playing.”

_ Still, I can tell how upset you are this happened. _

“Yeah I guess I’m a little disappointed, but I do understand. She’s got other stuff going on.” Ryou takes the popcorn out of the microwave once it’s done, pouring it into the bowl. “And we’ll get to hang out when she’s free again.”

_ I guess… it’s okay so long as you’re still happy Ryou _ . He glances at his reflection caught in the microwave screen. She’s smiling at him. 

“Thank you, Amane, for being here.” He grabs a few drinks, taking them and the popcorn out to the living room.

_ Anything for you, big brother. _

\--

It’s the next day at school and Ryou sits at his desk. He slips his bag down beside him, keeping it close. A yawn escapes him as he rubs the bags under his eyes. Ryou doesn’t notice as someone walks up behind him.

“Morning Bakura- are you okay?”

Mei shifts to see him better as the poor boy visibly jumps. He puts a hand on his chest as he collects himself. “Good morning Mei.”

“I’m sorry did I surprise you?” she smiles apologetically. “I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that.”

“No no it’s fine, really.” He smiles back, heart rate returning to normal. “I’m just a little out of it.” 

Mei gets a better look at him. “You do look a bit pale, are you feeling sick?”

“I don’t think so?” Ryou rubs his head. “I just slept poorly last night.”

“Aww oh no, did you have a nightmare?”

The opposite actually, now that Ryou thinks about it. His memories of last night are… hazy. Though he WAS staying up late working out some kinks in the campaign. Maybe he just had a rough night, it wouldn’t be the first time. It definitely won’t be the last.

“Just couldn’t sleep well.” Ryou stifles a yawn, but smiles at Mei. “How about you?”

“Oh I had the WEIRDEST dream last night!” Mei pulls up her chair, sitting with Ryou. “We were all playing at your house, but like, a horror movie was playing in the background? You and I kept making fun of it but Kazuo was hiding behind Hina.”

Ryou laughs, covering his mouth. “I guess all the creepy talk had an affect on you.”

“Must have, but there was more!” Mei leans forward on the desk. “It got real weird, there was like, this voice that started talking to us. They were acting like the DM and started treating us like pieces in the game? You were offended cause some new guy took over your story and you ran to fight em alone. Then Kazuo jumped on a horse and went to storm the castle with Hina following and it was wild. I was sorta stuck, and that was frustrating cause I wanted to help too!”

He stares at her surprised. “Wow that’s pretty intense. Though that’s not a bad idea for a campaign…”

“If you use it, I want royalties.” She giggles. “I think I just had too much sugar and missed playing your story. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”

“I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it so far, that’s reassuring to hear.” 

“Of course! I love when you start getting into the game, you like, become a completely different person.” She smiles, cheeks pink. “It’s nice, seeing you so happy.”

Ryou smiles a bit shy, fiddling with his pencil. “Thank you, Mei. It’s been a lot of fun getting to hang out with you and the others.”

Her blush deepens. Mei opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted when the teacher walks in. Everyone scrambles to get back to their seats, including Mei who moves her chair back to her spot. With that, classes start, yet as they begin their lesson, Ryou’s thoughts can’t help but linger on Mei’s strange dream. Someone else coming in and taking over his game… what a crazy thought, he doesn’t even know enough people for something like that to happen.

Instead of worrying, he decides to forget about it and focus on school. During their break, Ryou and Mei decide to go wish Hina good luck for her upcoming recital. Since she’s in a different class, they walk together and slip inside. 

Ryou scans the room, frowning when he can’t locate her. He looks to Mei, who appears to be just as confused as he is.

Mei walks over to a student. “Excuse me, but do you know if Hina’s here today?”

The student blinks, looking at Mei and then Ryou. “Oh, no she didn’t arrive. Usually she’s the first one so we figure she’s sick today.”

Mei looks back at Ryou, concerned. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? What if an illness is spreading through the school?”

“No I’m okay, I promise. I am worried about Hina though. She’s got that recital coming up, doesn’t she?”

“Oh no, she does! Poor Hina, I hope she feels better…” Mei bites her thumb, worry all over her face. She looks to the front of the room, locating the class’s teacher. “Come on Bakura, let’s go ask.”

She takes his hand, leading him to the teacher’s desk. The man looks up and smiles at the two. “How can I help you?”

“We were wondering if you knew anything about how Hina’s doing? She didn’t come to school today?” 

His expression turns more somber, the teacher nodding his head. “Yes, I called to see if she was running late. Ms. Suzuki rarely misses class. But I’m afraid she had an accident last night and had to be taken to the hospital.”

Both Ryou and Mei stand there frozen. She’s in the hospital? Why? What could have happened to her? His mind races as he braces himself on the teacher’s desk. Mei’s the first one to speak up, standing close to Ryou.

“D-do you know what happened?” She asks, her voice shaking. “Is Kazuo Suzuki here? Did he come to school?”

“I’m afraid not, I wasn’t told specifics, but I know Mr. Suzuki is staying with her now at the hospital. It all happened suddenly. We can only hope she’ll have a speedy recovery.”

Ryou’s mind goes completely blank, how could this happen? What  **did** happen? Why did his friend get sent to the hospital? What can he do, he’s so helpless. He’s only brought back to his senses when he feels Mei gently guiding him out of the room. Others are staring as they leave, but he can’t bring himself to care. Hina got hurt and there’s nothing he can do to help.

Ryou looks down at the ground when he feels Mei grab his arms. 

“It’ll be okay, she’ll be okay so don’t worry.” 

He looks up, and sees the tears running down her face. Though she tries to comfort him, he can see the fear in her eyes. She’s just as worried and unsure as he is, but she’s trying to calm herself down. “Don’t worry, we just need to wait for Hina to get better.”

He tries to smile, he wants to reassure her like she’s trying to help him, but it’s forced and unnatural. Neither one of them are okay right now. But there's’ nothing they can do. 

“R-right… all we can do is wait…”

“Bakura…” Mei bites her lip, slowly letting go of his arms in favor of holding his hand. “...we should get back to class. B-but I know Hina will get better! So for now, let’s stay positive, okay?”

Her voice is pleading. Ryou slowly nods his head, letting Mei drag him back to their class. He wants to believe her. But in situations like this, at least in his experience, things don’t get better. This is right when they start getting worse. What if Hina doesn’t get out of the hospital? He’ll have lost his friend… he’s going to be alone again…

_ Big brother what’s wrong, why are you so sad? _

He can’t do this. He can’t go through this again.

“Bakura?”

Ryou stops in the hallway, taking his hand back from Mei’s grasp. He bows his head, bangs covering his eyes. Breathing fast, Ryou grips at his chest. He can’t be alone again. He can’t handle that. 

“I-I don’t feel well.”

Is all Ryou can say before he takes off running. He hears Mei call out for him but he can’t stop. Reaching a bathroom, Ryou runs inside, slamming the door close behind him. He slinks down to the ground, back resting against the door. This is all too much for him. He breaks down into sobs, pulling his knees up to his chest as he starts crying. He can’t. He can’t he can’t he can’t he can’t. 

_ Ryou please, what happened, what’s wrong? _

He slowly looks up, eyes red and puffy. Though he can’t see his reflection in the mirrors from the ground, he knows Amane’s looking at him, possibly scared. Slowly, he forces himself up from the floor and stumbles forward. Pale, shaky hands, grip at the porcelain sink, body hunched over.

“A-Amane…” tears start flooding down his cheeks. “It’s Hina, s-she’s in the hospital.”

_ Wait what? Why, what happened? _

“T-they don’t know,” Ryou pauses for a moment, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. “Apparently t-there was an accident and they had to take her to the hospital. No one knows what’s going on.”

Amane watches as Ryou slowly collects himself. He ends up splashing some water on his face, trying to cool down. His gaze follows the water as it swirls down the drain, but Amane keeps her eyes on him. Her gaze is contemplative, a glint shining in her red eyes.

_ Big brother… I’m sure it’ll be okay. It’ll all work out, so don’t worry! _

“Mei said it’d be okay too, but what if it’s not?” Ryou rubs his face, feeling absolutely miserable. “What if I lose my friend? What if I lose everyone, again?” 

He can’t.

_ You won’t, Ryou. _

“How can you be so sure?!” he snaps, backing away from the mirrors. “It’s happened before, what’s stopping it from happening again?!”

_ ……you have me. No matter what, I’m not going anywhere, big brother. I’m not going to leave you alone ever again. Wear the ring, and I’ll be right here with you. _

Ryou slowly looks at Amane, her expression is serious, but also gentle. He steps closer, placing his hand against the cool reflective surface. She mirrors his movements, and though Ryou isn’t wearing the ring, he can almost feel it rest against his chest. He moves his hand to where the ring usually resides, feeling his heart beat in his chest. Amane does the same. She’s here for him, and she’s not going anywhere.

He slowly relaxes, a small, tired smile finds its way onto his face. It felt silly before, wearing the ring anywhere other than home, but he needs this. When he wears the ring, he’s not alone. And he won’t be alone. He has Amane with him, always. 

_ And even if it doesn’t feel like it right now, she’s still with you too, big brother. She’s here. _

He sniffs twice, nodding his head. “Thank you, Amane.”

_ Anything for you, dear brother. _ She smiles, helping Ryou feel more at ease, more at peace.  _ I’ll do anything for you. It’ll all work out in the end and you’ll stay happy. _

_ That’s a promise. _

Ryou nods, taking a minute for himself. He breathes in, he breathes out. “...I should return to class, Mei must be really worried...”

_ It’s understandable, but yeah, you should go back. Don’t worry, even if I’m not talking, I’m still here. _

“I know… I’m grateful, sis, to have you here with me.” Ryou smooths out his shirt and fixes his hair. He still looks like a train wreck, but this is the best he can be right now. 

And as he makes his way back to the classroom, Ryou can’t help but feel like Amane  **is** there, walking beside him. Her presence is comforting. It gives him a strength he hasn’t felt before. Even if things go wrong, when things look bleak, he will still have his sister to fall back on.

Things will continue to get better, right?


	7. Chapter 7

Things were getting better.

So then why. Why have things gotten like this?

Ryou walks outside of the hospital, his expression somber. First it was Hina, who had an accident and landed in the hospital. Then a few more kids he knew and talked with. And teachers. Everyone started falling one after the other.

And then it was Mei.

Tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. 

Why? Why are all the people he’s grown to care for ending up like this? People disappeared left and right, until it was just Ryou, now all alone again. Losing Mei, that’s the final hit for him. He’s fallen back into himself, no matter how much Amane tries to reassure him it’ll be okay… it can’t be. Every single person who interacts with him has gotten hurt.

Ryou’s cursed.

And he’s not the only one who’s noticed this. Now at school, kids leave him alone. None of this had happened until until  **he** started talking to people. He can hear their whispers and murmurs. Rumor has it this is all his fault. If you get close to Bakura, you’ll be the next one. The next victim to fall into the hospital.

He grabs at his chest, feeling the ring jostle under his jacket. The ache’s returned and it  **hurts** . 

He misses his friends. He misses Hina figuring out his riddles. He misses Kazuo yelling as he fumbles his roll. He misses Mei sneaking up behind him, or when she gets that excited smile on her face. He misses his friends so much it hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts.

As he wanders aimlessly, completely lost in thought, he fails to notice someone walk up behind him until they grab his shoulder. He cries out as he’s pulled back, turning to see Kazuo looking enraged. Before he can say anything, a fist slams into the side of his face, knocking Ryou to the ground. He lies there motionless for a moment, the sense knocked clean out of him.

“What did you do?!”

Ryou slowly cups his cheek, feeling the bruise begin to form. He looks up to see Kazuo glower down at him, tears forming in the older teen’s eyes.

“What did you do to Hina?! What did you do to  **my sister** ?!” He’s screaming, fists clenched tight at his sides. 

Ryou can’t find his voice. He can’t defend himself. He doesn’t know what he did, but he knows it’s his fault. All of this is his fault. Kazuo grabs Ryou by the front of his shirt, pulling him to his feet. It’s not fury that Ryou sees in his eyes, its desperation. A look Ryou knows all too well.

“Bring her back! BRING HINA BACK!”

Kazuo shakes Ryou, screaming at him. Ryou can’t do anything to stop this. There’s nothing he can do. There’s no way to fix this. He’s cursed and he’s bring disaster to everyone who cares about him. It started all those years ago. When he lost his mother. When he lost Amane. His dad knew, he knew and that’s why he left. He knows it’s all Ryou’s fault! He’s meant to be alone, he has to be alone. But he doesn’t want that! He can’t handle it, he’s too weak. Too afraid.

Too lonely.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m so s-sorry!” Tears stream down his face. It’s all he can offer. But it’s not enough.

Kazuo yells, pulling his fist back. Before the punch lands, everything turns black.

He’s falling.

Further and further he descends into darkness. Voices beg and plead for mercy, for salvation, all around him. He’s surrounded, and yet alone. The darkness suffocates and embraces him. He sees… nothing. He’s trapped in nothingness. And yet the voices scream. What they scream, however, he isn’t fully sure. Try as he might to listen, to focus, it only results in the voices sounding far away. There’s nothing he can do.

He’s trapped in nothing. His body feels weightless and empty, yet heavy and far away. All he can do is fall.

Down 

 

Down 

 

Down.

All the fight within him is gone. Why fight when there’s nothing to be done? All he can do is fall, fall, fall. This is what he deserves. A cursed soul forever doomed to descend into darkness. Yes. This is all his fault.

The voices draw near.

Why did he let this happen? 

Why must they suffer?

Why can’t he help them?

Please, they beg, please save them from this torment. 

But he can’t.

There’s nothing he can do. It’s all his fault. He couldn’t protect them. He can’t save them. He’s nothing…

There’s nothing to be done.

The darkness begins to consume him. He can feel the cold pierce through his fragile body. Yet, it feels as if he’s burning. The icy cold of the darkness burns at his flesh. It hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts. The voices scream for him, in utter agony. All he can do is let it consume him, inside and out. Just give in to the darkness… 

**_It’ll all be over soon._ **

Brown eyes snap open, Ryou’s body lurching upright. A pale hand clasps over his mouth, resisting the urge to get sick all over the bed. His breaths are fast and shallow, heart pounding wildly in his chest. What… what was  **that** ? A nightmare? He can still feel it, the uneasiness, the dread, all in his gut.

He forces himself to take slow, deep breaths. The room is spinning from his dizzy haze, while the nausea still leaves him queasy and disoriented. He rubs his forehead, his skin clammy and covered in a cold sweat. His heart refuses to calm down. Ryou places his hand on his chest.

He feels himself relax. Good, so he didn’t lose it. He’s always wearing the ring now.

Even if he doesn’t always remember putting it on. He… what did he do last? Ryou rubs his face, trying to focus. It’s hard, with the pounding of his erratic heart distracting him. He leans back against the headboard, letting himself calm down before doing anything else.

The last thing he remembers… is falling. Right, he had visited the hospital when Kazuo found him. It feels like he’s...  **missing** something? Ryou grabs his phone, eyes wide as he sees the time. It’s well into three in the afternoon. How long was he sleeping? No wonder he feels like he’s missed the day, he slept through all of it. 

What happened? Kazuo was screaming at him. He hit him, right? His memory feels… empty. Pale hands hold onto the ring resting against his chest. It’s heavy. Something… isn’t right. More and more holes have started appearing in his memories. And though Amane reassures him everything’s okay, it’s becoming more evident that it isn’t. Just what the hell is going on? People are getting hurt, he can’t fully remember what he does during the day, and he… he feels like Amane is hiding something from him.

But that’s ridiculous, she would never. She’s his dear, twin sister. Amane wouldn’t lie to him. She wouldn’t. It’s thanks to her he was even making new friends in the first place. So why would she lie to him about something so important? She wouldn’t, he knows this. He  **knows** this.

So then… why does he doubt her?

_ Brother, are you okay? _

Ryou visibly flinches, gripping the ring tighter in his shaky hands. No… no he isn’t okay. “I… I had a nightmare.”

_ Oh no, Ryou, I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it? _

“N-no, no not really…” He grips on the blanket, knuckles white. “...I’m sorry. Amane I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do.”

He lets go of the blanket in favor of grabbing his head, fingers tangling in his messy white hair. 

_ It’s okay, just breathe, you had a really bad day... _

The tears begin to fall. What is he going to do? He can’t keep going to school, not with everyone against him. No one trusts him now, Kazuo even  **hates** him. And he can’t bare to walk down those halls, knowing his friends are gone. They’re gone and it’s all of his fault. He should have known better. 

Ryou curls up onto his side, tears staining through his sheets. The ring rests on the bed with him, but he can’t bring himself to move. It all hurts so much.

_ Please don’t cry, Ryou. _

He flinches slightly, hands gripping on the sheets. “A-Amane… it’s all my fault.”

_ No, no you can’t say that! None of this is your fault. _

“Then why… why are all of my friends gone?” he sobs into his pillow. “Why is it always the people I cherish that leave me? Why am I cursed, Amane?!”

_ Shh, shhh you’re not cursed, big brother. _ Her voice is soothing, yet it fails to calm him.  _ What would Mei say if she saw you like this? _

Ryou hiccups, hugging the pillow close as he dries his eyes. She would be upset. Mei was the one who reassured Ryou that none of this was his fault as more people started getting hurt. She stayed loyal and true to him until ultimately she was gone too… how can he not blame himself, when someone kind and good like her also ended tragically?

He’s cursed. This is all his fault. “I-I don’t know what to do…”

He just wanted friends.

_ Brother… maybe you should try going to a different school. The one you’re at now is full of accidents and coincidences. Maybe a change of scenery will help you see it’s  _ **_not_ ** _ your fault. _

Maybe, or maybe it’ll lead to even more people getting hurt. “W-what if it keeps happening?”

_ It won’t, because it’s not your fault.  _ Amane repeats, reassuring him.  _ I think it’s the best solution for right now. You need to go to school, but you won’t be able to focus if you keep going to your current one. You gotta see this isn’t your fault, Ryou. _

He’s hesitant, he truly believes this  **is** all his fault. There’s no other explanation that he can find. What other reason would there be for all these incidents? They keep happening one after the other. And only to people he’s befriended and spoken with? It’s all this fault…

_ Ryou… at least think about it okay? I think it’s a good idea to help you. _

He sighs and nods, curling up on the bed. His eyes feel heavy. It’d be easier if he could just keep sleeping… no one will get hurt then.

_ You should get some rest for now. _ Amane’s gentle voice begins to lull him to sleep.  _ We’ll talk more after you’ve slept, okay? _

“No I…” he tries to resist the urge, forcing himself up. “What happened yesterday?”

She’s quiet. Ryou gets worried and grips on the ring, looking forward as if he could see her if he tried hard enough. “Amane, what happened after Kazuo hit me?”

_ …you blacked out, so I took over. _ She says, her voice quiet as she carefully chooses her words.  _ I ended up running away before he could hit you again. _

Ryou slinks back into bed, holding his bruised face. “That explains why I’m home then…. I can’t face him again, not after that.”

_ If he tries to hit you again I’ll take over, don’t worry. _

“Amane, no, he’s in the right. If the situation was reversed, I’d definitely do the same thing.” Ryou looks to the side, his whole body aches. “There’s no worse feeling than losing your sister…”

_ This isn’t your fault. It’s never been your fault. _

He’s not convinced. But he’s too tired to keep fighting. He lets himself curl up again under the covers, wanting nothing more than for all of this to be over. This has been too much for him, too exhausting to bare.

_ Now get some rest, you need it. _

“Okay…” he gives in to the call for sleep, wanting the ache to go away. “Please… be here, when I wake up again.”

_ I’m always going to be here, big brother. _

He’s grateful, truly. Yet as he allows himself to drift, he can’t help but dread what's coming in the morning. Another day at school…

He really should have stayed home.

\--

All eyes are on him. It feels like  **everyone** is staring at him. Please, someone make them stop. Ryou bows his head as he walks through the halls, trying to block out all of the staring. But he can feel it. Their eyes bore into his fragile frame. 

Just breathe. Inhale, exhale. It’ll be okay.

Everything will be okay.

Ryou doesn’t speak up in class today, he doesn’t speak at all unless addressed first. During his breaks, he sits quietly by himself. It’s as if he never tried to make friends in the first place. It’s all back to how it used to be. Only worse. He yearns to have Mei’s endless enthusiasm bounce off the walls. He misses Hina joining them at lunch to talk about riddles and puzzles and games. Other students would join in, too. It was overwhelming at first but... but Ryou had grown accustomed to it. He looked forward to it.

But now he sits alone.

_ Brother it’ll be okay, so please try and hang in there. _

Amane’s been trying to comfort him all day. He wishes he could put on a smile for her, to reassure Amane that he’s okay. But he’s not. He’s so miserable. So, so miserable. 

Ryou stands up, holding his bag close to his slouching form. He can feel their stares. Head bowed low, Ryou walks off to the nearest restroom, wanting nothing more than to hide for the rest of the day. Maybe he should feign illness to get sent home early. 

One thing’s for sure, he can’t keep this up.

“Well if it ain’t the walking curse himself.”

Ryou tenses, turning around to see he’s no longer alone. He hadn’t heard them come in. A couple boys from his year have walked into the restroom. His skin drains of what little color it previously had, contrasting against his dark, sunken in eyes. He looks between the students, the anxiety building within him.

“So Kazuo’s in the hospital, he’s your last victim huh?” Ryou’s eyes widen, when did-? “Didn’t have enough putting his sister in, finally putting him out of his misery too yeah?”

“N-no,” Ryou chokes out, voice trembling. “N-no I didn’t- I had no idea-!”

The tallest boy kicks him down, Ryou hitting the wall hard. He flinches, covering his face. Yet as the teens corner him, they’re stopped by a deafening  _ crack _ . The room falls to complete silence, the teens all staring directly behind Ryou’s cowering form. He slowly lowers his arms, but stays frozen in place. He can’t move. The tension in the room is suffocating, no one willing to break it.

Suddenly, they all make a break for the door. They fumble and run into each other until the door closes behind the last one, leaving Ryou completely alone. He tries to calm his breathing. What happened? What caused them to flee like that? They all looked terrified. What was that noise…?

Don’t turn around.

He tries to reason with himself. Ryou shouldn’t, he doesn’t want to know. Just take a minute and get the hell out of there.

He turns around.

The mirror. Directly behind Ryou is a large mirror, and now there lies a giant crack. It runs from the top corner and slices right through his reflection. He’s split in two. A startled gasp escapes him, Ryou clutching at his chest. For a second, a split second, he swore he saw… 

It wasn’t Amane.

As he looks again, heart beating rapidly in his chest, he only sees himself. His hair is a mess, and his brown eyes are looking swollen, tired. He looks dead. 

Ryou takes a shaky step back, clutching onto his head. He can’t keep this up. He can’t stay here. Losing it, he’s completely losing it. The room begins to spin and Ryou tries to to stay on his feet. Nothing is within reach for him to hold on, resulting in Ryou falling down to the tiled floor. He curls up on himself, head between his legs, and fingers clenched tight in his hair. It’s taking everything in him to not completely break down here and now.

The door opens, but he can’t get himself to care. If they’ve come back to torment him some more, so be it. “Young man, are you okay?”

It must be a teacher. Their voice is too deep for a teenager, and too full of concern to be a classmate. Ryou doesn’t answer. Tears start burning down his pale cheeks, prompting the teacher to rush over to him. He can’t help it. All he can do is sob.

“Are you hurt?” A hand rests against Ryou’s back, causing him to wince. “Let me take you to the nurse’s office.”

Ryou wordlessly rises to his feet, following the teacher’s guidance. Everything else happens in a blur. Grown ups speak in concerned whispers as he lies in bed, his mind blank from fatigue. It’s all gone far out of his control. There’s nothing he can do anymore. If Amane’s right, if it’s true none of this is really his fault, it’s too late now. The whole school thinks he’s a plague that’s come to curse them all. And if he’s right… if this really is  **all his fault** … Ryou has no way to right this. He won’t be able to live with that guilt.

_ Big brother you’re so hurt… don’t worry I’m going to help you _ . Amane’s voice is soothing as it floats through his mind.  _ I’ll prove to you it’s not your fault. We’ll get out of this school, and you’ll be happy again. _

_ I promise, big brother. _


	8. Chapter 8

Domino High, huh?

Ryou looks up at the school, fidgeting with his jacket’s collar. It’s been a week since the incident in the restroom. Ultimately, all agreed it was best for him to transfer schools. It wouldn’t be good for him, or for anyone, if he stayed there. Thankfully, his father was easy enough to get in contact with, and agreed to let him transfer for his education and personal well being. It’s kind of sad, how little his dad understands what’s going on, but that’s not what he’s here to worry about.

“Amane, I don’t think I can do this.”

_Of course you can, this is the fresh start you need. I swear, things are going to be better for you here._

“But what if it’s not?” He grips on his bag tight, looking down at the ground. “What if it happens here, too?”

_It won’t big brother, I promise!_

He tries to smile, but he’s so nervous. Ryou wants Amane to be right, he wants to get past all this tragedy and try to get better. But there’s this unease in his gut. Something’s telling him not to go here. Yet, he has to, there’s nowhere else for him to go now.

Ryou walks inside, and after getting directions he finds his way to the guidance office. It doesn’t take long until his teacher comes and is introduced to him. Everything seems pleasant and fine on the surface, but Ryou’s stomach is doing flips with nerves. He’d be happy if he could be anywhere else but here. Ryou follows as he’s lead to his new classroom. If he could avoid too much attention, it might not be so bad…

“ _T_ _here’s a new student transferring today!”_

_“I heard he’s really cute!”_

_“Why do you think he’s transferring this late in the year?”_

He swallows the lump in his throat, hearing the gossiping voices from outside the door. They’re already talking about him, all eyes are going to be on him. Ryou doesn’t know if he can do this… but it’s too late, the teacher opens the door and they both walk inside.

“Settle down class,” the friendly teacher says, writing Ryou’s name on the board. He turns and smiles at everyone, gesturing to Ryou. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce our new student.”

Ryou gives everyone a shy, anxious smile. “Hello, I’m Ryou Bakura. It’s nice to meet you all....”

All eyes are on him. He clenches his hands nervous, trying to keep his breathing steady. “Let’s see where you can be seated.” The teacher looks around the room. “Ah, there’s a desk next to Jonouchi.”

“Here over here!” A boisterous student starts flailing his hands around.

“Be careful Bakura!”

“Jonouchi’s a bad influence, don’t get too close to him!”

“Oy, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryou awkwardly walks to the empty desk, sitting beside Jonouchi. It’ll help to be friendly, right? He turns to face his new classmate. “It’s nice to meet you, Jonouchi.”

The blonde grins at him, giving him a thumbs up. “Likewise Bakura! Let’s get along while we’re here!”

His boundless enthusiasm reminds Ryou of Mei. He can’t help but give a bittersweet smile. The excitement in the room dies down as the teacher reigns everyone back in. As their lesson begins, Ryou notices some of the students stare at him, but without the malice and judgement.

For now, he muses, feeling none too optimistic. But he does his best to pay attention to the teacher, and not draw anymore attention onto himself.

At their break, Ryou sees a few kids come over near his and Jonouchi’s desks. The blonde grins at him. “Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Honda, Anzu, and-”

“Hi I’m Yugi, it’s nice to meet you!”

“And my best friend, Yugi.” Jonouchi finishes, amused.

They exchange pleasantries, Ryou slightly anxious in getting to know people right off that bat. Yet as everyone starts talking, he finds his gaze drawn to Yugi. More specifically, the golden pendant hanging around his neck. His eyes flicker up to Yugi’s face. Over all, he looks very kind and friendly, having a comforting presence about him.

“So your family owns a game store?” He has to admit, that caught his attention.

“Yeah, my grandpa runs the Kame Game shop.” An excited light shines in his big eyes. “Do you like games, Bakura?”

Ryou can’t stop his smile as he nods. “Yes, I love games. Especially board games.”

“Got a favourite?” Honda asks, leaning against Jonouchi’s desk.

“Yes, a game called Monster World-”

“Oh!” A look of recognition crosses Yugi’s face. Has he heard of it?

Jonouchi looks up at Yugi questioningly. “What’s that game like?”

Ryou goes to explain, but Yugi excitedly beats him to it. “It’s like a mix of a board game and an rpg. A group of players join a team, and they’re the adventurers. Their goal is to make their way through the other player’s story and defeat all their monsters. The coolest part is how much you can customize it. You can change the layout of the board and make each game unique!”

He looks up at Yugi impressed. “Wow I haven’t met anyone that knew so much about Monster World. You must really love games, Yugi.”

Yugi rubs the back of his neck, a faint blush dusting his face. He grins sheepishly and nods. “That’s what happens when you grow up surrounded by games I guess.”

“It sounds like fun!” Anzu chimes in.

“Yeah, we should all play it together sometime. Sounds good, right Bakura?” Jonouchi grins.

A flash of panic washes over Ryou. His words are caught in his throat as his gaze falls to his desk. The conversation continues on as normal while Ryou tries to keep himself calm. He can’t get too friendly with anyone, it’ll only hurt more if he does. A pale hand grips on his jacket. Breathe in, breathe out. He looks back at the group to catch up with the conversation, but his eyes fall to the pyramid Yugi’s wearing again.

“Yugi, may I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” Yugi looks to Ryou, giving him a warm smile. “Sure, what’s up, Bakura?”

“I’m really curious about the pendant you’re wearing.” It’s just so similar...

Yugi points at the pyramid. “You mean this? It’s the millennium puzzle. It was found in a tomb in Egypt!”

It’s also from Egypt? What are the odds of that? “Wow that’s so interesting. Is it okay if I take a closer look?”

Yugi smiles and nods, keeping it around his neck but offers it out for Ryou to grab. Ryou lets his curiosity win over and carefully holds the gold pendant. The cool, gold surface is familiar to him. “This is incredible, it reminds me of my-”

Ryou freezes up, an intense pain clenching in his chest. He flinches, gripping onto his jacket. What in the world? Where did this pain come from?

“Bakura what’s wrong?”

Yugi looks at him with wide, concerned eyes. Ryou forces a smile, making sure Yugi has his puzzle back. “I-it’s nothing, I’m fine.” He lies.

It was a sharp pain in his heart. Maybe it’s from all the stress he’s been under? And the lack of sleep isn’t doing him any favors. Thankfully, whatever that was seems to have passed, allowing Ryou the chance to calm down again. The conversation carries on into lighter subjects, when a group of girls come over to their desks.

“Hey Jonouchi!”

“What?” He looks at them annoyed. “Can’t you see we’re talking here?”

“You’re hogging Bakura all to yourself!” One of the girls huffs, hands on her hips.

Ryou blinks. What?

He’s brought to his feet, the girls all surrounding him. What’s happening- what’s going on here?

“Bakura we’ll show you around the school!” One of the girls offers, all of them starting to usher him out of the classroom.

“H-huh? Wait hold on-” he looks at all the girls as he’s being led away, clearly uncomfortable.

But there’s really not much he can do about this. He ends up getting an awkward tour around his new school, the girls all gushing and fawning over him. Yes he’s very uncomfortable. And it doesn’t help when Amane starts laughing at him.

_I told you it’d be better here, big brother._ Her teasing voice chimes in his ears. _Look how popular you are already~_

“Amane shush.” Ryou mutters under his breath, face heating up in embarrassment.

He’d much rather be back at the classroom right now.

“-and over here is the music room!”

“Mhmm,” he mumbles, honestly he should be paying more attention to his surroundings. But he’s too uncomfortable with all of this fussing and attention. If he could just find an opening and slip away…

“Hey you there!”

Ryou turns, seeing a rather large teacher shouting at their group.

“Strutting down the hall with a bunch of girls chasing after you, what kind of game are you playing punk? What class are you in?”

His voice hitches in his throat, looking at the teacher with wide, confused eyes. What’s he talking about? Is he seriously getting in trouble on his first day? The girls all look nervous, stepping closer to Ryou. He must not be a very popular teacher here…

“Oh no, it’s Karita, he’s the gym teacher.” He hears one of the girls whisper.

“You’re the new guy, aren’t you punk?” Karita smirks, a rather nasty look resting on his face. “I heard you were a troublemaker at your old school.”

Ryou pales, feeling his blood run cold.

“But I’ll make sure to keep you in line while in my school.” He grips on Ryou’s hair, giving it a hard tug. “Like this long hair of yours. That’s not allowed here.”

The girls all shout in protest as Ryou winces, trying to get his hair free from Karita’s grasp.

“Don’t think you’re hot shit, small fry.” He gives another pull on Ryou’s hair. “Be sure to cut your hair for tomorrow, and I might start treating you like an actual student in this school.”

Karita releases his hold on Ryou, smug as he saunters off. Ryou rubs his head, some loose strands of hair falling to the floor. While the throbbing on his head eases up, the sharp pain from before stings at his chest. The girls all ask him if he’s okay and try to reassure him that Karita’s not serious and things of that nature. But all he can focus on right now is getting away.

“I-I’m sorry but can you excuse me for a bit? I’m not feeling well.”

He flees the scene before anyone can stop him, finding the nearest restroom to isolate himself in. With a hand on his chest, he hunches over the sink, helpless as he waits for the pain to subside. As the pain in his chest finally lightens, he looks into the mirror, seeing Amane’s worried stare looking back at him.

_Brother what is it? You look like you’re hurting really bad._

“It’s my chest…”

It keeps hurting, and he doesn’t know why. He unbuttons his jacket, revealing the ring resting against his chest. It really has a striking resemblance with Yugi’s pendant. And Yugi’s even came from Egypt. Ryou grabs the ring, staring at his reflection. The pain in his chest started when he touched Yugi’s pendant…

_You should take it easy. Do you think you should go home early?_

“No, no I’m hoping this will pass.” Ryou looks to Amane, smiling. “I’ll be okay.”

_Big brother… don’t push yourself, okay? If you’re not feeling well you should rest._

Ryou nods, fixing up his jacket. “I will, I’ll rest when I get home.”

He returns to class, getting through the rest of his day without any further incidents. The pain becomes tolerable much to his relief. It isn’t long until he gathers his things, the school day ending. Carrying his bag, Ryou heads home, a foot barely out of the school grounds, when a familiar voice calls out to him.

“Bakura wait up!”

Ryou turns, seeing Yugi and his other classmates running over to him. He admits he’s surprised to see them. Did he forget something? “Oh um, hi.”

Yugi smiles up at him. “We were wondering if you wanted to meet up after school tomorrow? Everyone wants to try out a game of Monster World. We can play at my place if you want, and I got other games if you’d rather try those.”

His heart clenches in his chest. Ryou lowers his gaze, unable to look any of them in the eyes.

“You don’t want to…?”

“No! No it’s not that I don’t want to!” Ryou takes a step back. “I just… shouldn’t.”

He avoids their eyes, but knows they’re all looking at him confused. He really does want to play, he wants to have friends! But he can’t risk that, not again. He can’t let more people get hurt because of his curse.

“Bakura…”

“I… I have a confession.” He glances to the floor. “Back at my old school, I started hanging out and playing games with new friends. But weird things started happening… everyone I’ve played with, anyone I’ve interacted with, has fallen into the hospital. They’re all still there...”

Everyone looks at him surprised, unsure on what to say.

“And because it kept happening more and more, others started avoiding me, blaming me,” his grip tightens on his bag, eyes watering from his confession. “I’m cursed, it got so bad I had to transfer schools. You guys seem really nice, and I appreciate you welcoming me so warmly. But I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me.”

He turns on his heel, tears pooling in his eyes. “I’ve decided, I can’t have anymore friends. I don’t want to lose anymore important people…”

“Bakura wait-"

“So please… for your own safety. Goodbye.”

Ryou takes off running, ignoring their shouts. It hurts. It hurts to admit his curse to more people. But he has to, he can’t let anyone else become a victim. As awful as it is to be alone, it feels even worse to lose people. He can’t go through this again and again. He’s going to break.

Feeling overwhelmed, he stumbles his way back home, the pain in his chest flaring up. The whole way back, Amane is oddly silent, making Ryou feel more and more uneasy. Usually on the walk home Amane chats with him, catching up with his day or checking on how he’s doing. But now, she’s quiet, not even answering when Ryou calls for her. This pushes him to get home faster, concerned something may have happened.

Back in his apartment, Ryou drops his bag. He walks to the nearest case, leaning against it as he catches his breath. With a hand resting on his pained chest, Ryou looks at his reflection, about to ask Amane if she’s okay. But to his surprise, he only sees himself. She isn’t there? Ryou forces himself up right, shrugging off his uniform jacket. He grabs hold of the ring, finding the metal to be cold. Did something happen to Amane? Ryou pales at the thought.

No, no he’s just overreacting. He makes his way down the hall, walking into the bathroom. Surely she’s here, she has to be.

He looks into the mirror, and to his relief Amane is there, smiling back at him. But something’s wrong, Her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes…

_You look pale. Does it still hurt?_ Her tone is sweet, but it feels… off. _You should get some sleep, dear brother. Then the pain will go away._

Ryou frowns, gripping on the ring. “Amane… are you okay? Why are you acting like this?” He looks at her reflection, gut twisting anxiously. “I feel like you’ve been avoiding me lately, what did I do?”

She’s quiet. Does she have to think that long about it? Why does it feel like she’s toying with him? _Have I been acting that cold to you? I’m sorry, I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind. But you’re hurting, right? You really should get some rest._ Amane smiles.

_I’ll make the pain go away._

Eyes wide with fear, Ryou takes a shaky step back. He doesn’t like this, everything’s wrong. Her red eyes glint dangerously in the mirror, her smile fake. He takes another step back, eyes locked with Amane’s. What’s going on. His hand reaches back for the doorknob.

“Amane, what are yo-?”

Everything goes black.

Brown eyes snap open a moment later, looking around at his surroundings. His brain feels foggy. Ryou takes a moment to adjust, holding on to his head. Where is he, what happened? The last thing he remembers… he went to his new school, met a bunch of new people, Amane was worried about him-

Amane. She’s acting off. He looks around again, expecting to still be in the bathroom. To his surprise, Ryou sees he’s standing in the middle of his game room. When did he get here?

“What happened?” He walks closer to a case, looking at the different figures.

What’s strange is, his reflection isn’t looking at him.

“Amane? Did you bring me here?”

_Should I have woken you up in your bedroom? Would that have been better, dear brother?_ Her voice is cold. _I didn’t think it through. Sorry, but I was busy, and I had to drop something off in here. Oops._

“Drop something off here?” He looks around again. “In the game room? What was it?”

Amane giggles, a shudder runs down Ryou’s spine. _Don’t worry, I just took care of that little problem you ran into earlier._

“Problem?” His eyes widen, looking at the glass. “Amane… tell me what’s going on. What did you do?!”

Finally, the reflection in the case turns around.

Grinning.


	9. Chapter 9

This can’t be happening.

Ryou stares into the glass, his reflection bearing a wide, unnatural grin. Amane’s teeth are sharp, her gaze is cruel. This can’t be right. What’s happened to Amane? Why is she acting like this? Ryou’s aware she’s been acting off for weeks, but now it’s all crashing down and he’s afraid.

_ Ryou. _ He shudders, his name sounding wrong.  _ You’re the dearest thing to me. I’ve been looking after you all of this time, and now you can return the favor, dear brother. _

He furrows his brow. “Return the favor?”

What is she talking about? He eyes the reflection, but his gaze falls on the figures behind the glass. There’s many he doesn’t recognize as ones he’s made, and at first it warmed him to see his sister take after his hobby. There’s the mage, the first doll Amane made. He had thought it cute at the time, how the doll reminded him of Hina.

His eyes widen.

“Amane.” His body tenses up, refusing to look at her. “Amane are you the one… the one that’s been making everyone disappear?”

Please deny it. Say no. Don’t do this, don’t be the one.

_ Making your friends disappear? Oh no, no. It’s the opposite! Come on, dear brother, open your eyes! I know you can see it, right? _ She opens her arms wide, gesturing to all the dolls in the cases. Ryou pales as he starts looking closer at the dolls, fear rising up within him as he recognizes more and more.  _ Your friends have always been next to you. Remember? _

_ I promised to make you happy, big brother. _

“N-no,” Ryou chokes out. He takes a horrified step back, but he can’t break his gaze. Among all the dolls he finds one with light blue hair, and dark yellow eyes. “N-no, Amane, no! What have you done?!”

Her giggling starts soft and sweet. Yet soon it bursts into crazed laughter, Amane throwing her head back as she cackles. This isn’t his sister. This isn’t Amane. A flurry of emotions swirl inside him, but rage bubbles to the surface. Shaky hands ball into fists.

“Who are you? W-what did you do to Amane?!”

The stranger smirks.  _ I don’t know what you mean, brother. It’s always been me by your side. Why must you be so cold? All I’ve been doing is granting your wish. _

“No! Who are you?!” Ryou shouts. He has to know who to hate.

Yet as he waits for an answer, he notices the appearance in the reflection change. His long white hair begins to spike up into an unruly, wild mess of locks. His posture is rigid and towering. He looks like a predator, an animal stalking in on his latest hunt. And then there’s his eyes. Sharp, cruel, and red. This person, this creature, they were never Amane.

_ Please, my dear, sweet, brother, you don’t want the pain to return, do you? There’s no time for that. No not when I’m so close to fulfilling my purpose. _ The creature laughs.  _ You’ve done everything perfectly, I couldn’t have asked for a better brother! _

Ryou flinches as the creature continues to address him like that. He’s so confused. Ryou grips on his head, staggering away from the case. The room’s spinning, closing in around him. 

_ Finally, after these long, long years, centuries of searching, I’ve found him. A mere boy has gathered it, the millennium item! _

“Shut up! Who are you-  **What** are you?!” 

He screams, a sharp pain cutting through his chest. What? The pain is unbearable, causing him to look down. His white shirt begins to stain red. Horrified, Ryou rips open his shirt, face pale at what he sees. The ring has stabbed into him, piercing through his skin. The five points all leak with blood and Ryou fights back against the nausea as it begins to overtake him. It hurts.

_ Heheh I see you’ve noticed… you’ve done so well with wearing the ring, dear brother, I can’t have you trying to take it off now. No, not when we’re so close… _

_ We’re connected forever. _

“L-Let me go!” He stumbles back into the game table, gripping on it for support. Dizzy, he’s too dizzy.

The creature- spirit? Whatever he is, he continues to laugh at him.  _ But I must thank you! It’s because of you, I’ve found him, the keeper of the millennium puzzle. I’m going to require your assistance, you’re going to have to bare with it longer. _

“Go away!” Ryou shouts, desperation in his eyes. “Disappear!  **Get out of me!** ”

_ Now, now, dear brother, don’t be so rude. I’ll confess, I’m having a ball here. It was so  _ **_easy_ ** _ getting you to cooperate. But don’t worry, I haven’t been ungrateful. _

_ I pay my debts. _

“Stop it, stopping say that! You’ve ruined me life!” Tears start flowing down Ryou’s cheeks, his body trembling in his fury. “I never wanted this- you’re a-a demon!”

_ Such poor manners. Weren’t you raised better than that? _  His smirk is cruel.  _ I expected a thank you, for working so hard. But it’s no matter, the puzzle is just within reach. The millennium items are like tombs. They can hold mighty, ancient souls, within their gold walls. But as there are guardians who protect those graves, there are also thieves who rob them! _

This is all too much. Tombs, golden relics that house ancient souls? 

“I g-get it.” He looks at the spirit, the stranger wearing his face. “You’re the thief, and Yugi’s the guardian…”

The spirit throws back his head, laughing wildly.  _ Is that so? _

“S-stop it! Stop, just stop. Don’t you dare lay a finger on Yugi!”

_ Because he’s your friend? Don’t worry, I’ll be sure he’s added to the collection. He’ll never leave you this way, dear brother! _ He gestures to a shelf with new dolls, each looking like Yugi and his friends.  _ Just like everyone else! _

“N-no you can’t! Don’t do this again!”

_ Oh but brother, he’ll be here soon. _

Ryou’s blood runs cold. How long was he out? “W-what? Why- what have you done? What did you make me do?!”

_ They were worried about you, dear brother. I just wanted to let them know how you’re doing. _ His grin stretches across his face, cutting like a knife.  _ They decided to come and check on you. Isn’t that nice? It’s good to have such caring friends. _

Ryou places a hand on his chest. The pain’s returned, stronger than before. No, no he can’t allow this to keep happening! He falls to his knees, body trembling from the pain. This monster can’t be allowed to wear his face. He can’t keep hurting his friends! He takes shallow breaths, trying to overcome the pain. Bracing himself against the table, Ryou pulls himself up off the floor. He won’t give in so easily. Not anymore.

The doorbell rings.

“N-No...” Ryou whispers, eyes wide and full of fear.

They’re here. He has to warn them!

He stumbles out of the game room, body leaning against the walls of his hallway to keep him up. Laughter rings in his ears, but he resists against the pain. Ryou runs to the door, all he needs to do is get them to leave. He has to warn them. They’re not safe here!

Ryou cracks open the door, being greeted by their smiling faces. “Y-you can’t-” is all he can muster, the air being forced out of his lungs.

The last thing he sees is Yugi’s cheerful face, before everything fades to black.

_ It’s not polite to chase away friends who have come to play with you, dearest brother. _

...

Nothing.

He’s trapped in nothing.

It feels like… he’s floating. Floating in a vast emptiness. His body is heavy. It’s impossible to move so he’s left there, only capable to drift. 

He wishes he could do  **something** .

But instead, Ryou’s left to drift off into the darkness, the nothingness. With only his thoughts. This is too cruel for him to bare.

Amane was never back.

His chest aches, yet there’s nothing he can do to console it. All this time. All of this was fake, a lie. He should have known. He should have known it was wrong. But he wanted to believe in it, he wanted to believe the lies. He didn’t want to be alone anymore.

It’s all of his fault. If he wasn’t so pathetic, he wouldn’t have been tricked. If he wasn’t so lonely, so desperate. But he is. He let this spirit, this  **monster** , get inside his heart. It was so easy.  He was so easy to manipulate. Just a soft voice and a vague enough story, and Ryou was sunk into the lies. How could someone be so… evil? There’s something truly deplorable about pretending to be someone’s  **dead twin sister.**

This thing isn’t human.

And it’s wearing his face. Ryou let this spirit take everything from him. His love, his happiness, his friends. For once in his life, he could feel happy. But now it’s all been ripped away from him, just like all those years ago. He can’t be happy. Ryou truly is cursed. No matter what he does, no matter how much he tries to be better, it always comes crashing down at his feet. His chest throbs in pain.

He forces his hand to move. This pain is too immense. His hand grips on his shirt, feeling heavy and loaded with lead. His eyes are clenched tight. Why does it always have to hurt? 

Imagines of Amane flash in his mind. He can see it so vividly. Her smile, so warm, so loving. But it was fake. All of it was fake. Those smiles, those comforting, caring words, her laugh… all fake. He was so convinced, he truly believed his sister was back. 

But she’s gone.

She could never come back. He’s a fool for trusting so readily. He let himself be tricked. Looking back, he can see it so clearly. The twitch in her smiles, those moments when her eyes flashed something far more sinister than what should ever be possible for his dear sister to muster. The were times when her teeth were bared a little too much, a little too sharp. Sometimes her words didn’t match, as if she was reading from a script. But he believed each story she told, each excuse she gave. He desperately wanted to believe in Amane. 

And because of that, people got hurt.

Why? Why did the spirit encourage him to make friends? Why did he try to make him happy? Just to hurt him? Was it all a ploy to break him completely?

Ryou lies in the emptiness in utter agony. 

He’s pathetic. He’s weak and pitiful and let all of this happen. He has no control in his life, he’s never had control. Something deep resonates inside his core. He doesn’t WANT to be weak. He doesn’t want to let this foul demon take control of his life. This creature can’t be allowed to wear his face like a mask. He won’t stand for this! Not anymore.

He tries to fight back.

Ryou can’t move his body anymore than before, but that doesn’t mean he can’t try. His eyes snap open, but all he sees is darkness. There’s nothing around him. The emptiness is isolating, it’s suffocating. But he has to fight back. Everything within his body screams. Let. Him. Out.

There’s a pull.

Something. There’s something out there. Ryou struggles, yet his body doesn’t respond. Something is calling to him, there’s something in this empty void. Something, there’s  **something** . 

He needs to get out.

Ryou focuses. His mind follows the pull. It’s as if… something’s guiding him out. The darkness clings to his body, trying to keep him floating in it’s horrid grasp. But he won’t. He won’t be passive in this possession, not anymore. He rips out of the darkness and begins to fall.

He isn’t afraid.

He falls and falls and falls. But this time, he trusts that he’s going to find his way out. This darkness can’t contain him.

He’s going to get out.

He wakes up, and it hurts. Going from utter darkness to a world with light is nearly blinding, Ryou needs a minute to adjust. But he can’t close his eyes. Instead he focuses in on his surroundings. The world looks different… but familiar? He’s been here before, but he put his finger on where or when. His mind is dizzy, but he tries to focus. There’s… people in front of him, a group?

Wait… it’s Yugi! Yugi and his friends are here. The world comes into focus, and Ryou feels his excitement die as fast as it came. Yugi… is just a  **doll** . Is it too late? He tries to move forward, but is horrified to discover that he can’t. He can’t move at all.

He wants to scream.

“Please help me! A monster attacked me in the forest and stole my treasure.” he’s confused, these words spill out of his mouth on their own. “I was on my way to deliver it to the hero! The treasure is a  **holy sword** . It’s the only weapon that can  **destroy Zorc** .”

His body moves against his will, feeling stiff and unnatural. Suddenly, it dawns on him. He’s just another doll in the spirits game now. The realization makes him feel sick to his stomach. And he can’t help but remember something Mei had told him ages ago...

_ “It got real weird, there was like, this voice that started talking to us. They were acting like the DM and treated us like pieces in the game…” _

Mei’s dream doesn’t seem so silly now.

His body involuntarily follows after his friends figures. He lags behind in the back, watching them fight, hearing them enjoy themselves. He wishes he could warn them, that he could do  **something** before it’s too late. He wants to help. He wants to fight back against the demon controlling his body.

But he’s not strong enough.

“Hahaha! So  **you’re** the four heroes who would defy me…” as the words escape his lips, he feels the fight slip away from within him. He’s just a puppet, a doll for the spirit to control. He never stood a chance. The spirit knew this, and now it’s just playing with him.

“You fell for my trap and entered the forest of the dead… this will be your grave!”

His perspective begins to change. His sight hazes up, the world spinning as everything changes. Yet, there’s no pain this time. 

“What’s this?” That’s his voice, but he isn’t speaking. “The young man’s form changes and grows before your very eyes! For he is none other than the Dark Master Zork!”

Zork…? Is that his name….?

Suddenly he can see clearly again. He’s back in his body, his real one. And yet, he feels just as disconnected as he did with the doll earlier. He can’t move. Not even his eyes respond. He’s looking straight at Yugi, the others are laying all around him on the table, passed out. It’s too late.

“Hey Yugi!” He hears Jonouchi shout out. “Our lives are in your hands! You gotta defeat Zork!”

“I will!” Yugi responds.

How was Jonouchi shouting if he’s unconscious? He can hear their voices, but their bodies remain motionless. Then his eyes glance down on their own, and he sees all the dolls on the table. They’re moving. The demon, Zork, has trapped them. Only Yugi remains.

“Let’s get on with the game!” Zork makes him say.

“So, ‘other Yugi’, from now on you’ll be rolling the dice for the entire team!” his body speaks on it’s own. “But, if the player character’s health reaches zero, then their soul and bodies will die!”

What?! No that’s too much to take in. Other Yugi? His friends dying? Is this what he did to everyone else? Trapped them in these dolls and made them play for their own lives? It’s as if this is just a game to him. It’s all just one big game. Ryou can’t stand this anymore. He  **has** to fight. But how? His body isn’t under his control, it won’t listen to him. He can only watch.

Zork stares at Yugi. Ryou can feel a panic that’s not his own rise up within him. The ‘other’ Yugi keeps landing critical after critical. His eyes land on the dice, and he realizes how the other Yugi is doing it.

“One of the many ways of cheating with dice. It’s called a double hit,” Yugi begins to explain, a broad smirk resting on his face. “The same class as your ‘run of ciriticals’ eh, Bakura?”

Another critical lands, and the adventures celebrate. Jonouchi’s figure glares up at him.

“So that jerks been cheating!”

Yugi stares at him, expression smug. “Too bad for you, Bakura! If you can cheat, so can I!”

They all think it’s him. They think  **he’s** the one doing this to everyone. This is how it’s gone every time, isn’t it. All of Zork’s victims thought it was him playing with them. That it was him tricking them into losing their lives. Cheating to win. He wants to scream. But he can only watch in silent horror as his friends fall into the many different traps on the map before them.

“Let me finish him off! I’ll never forgive you, Bakura, not in a million years!” Honda declares. “I’ll put a hole in your brain, Zork!”

“You hear that, Bakura? My hand will channel their anger into these dice!”

Yugi starts landing critical after critical again, but this time it’s done only by dropping the dice. The group fights back with everything they have. Each hit makes him feel stronger, as Zork’s figure gets weaker. Could it be… Zork and his figure are really connected?

“Scared, Bakura?” Jonouchi taunts. “Yugi told you the answer! Our souls and trust are channeled into his dice! We’re making the dice  **angry!** ”

Their souls…. They’re putting their hearts into this. Despite everything, Ryou feels happy that even in this dark and terrifying time, they’re not giving up without a fight.

And neither should he.

The smoke clears, but of course the boss monsters intact. That’s always how it goes in these kinds of stories. But, there HAS been damage done to it. If Zork’s soul really is in the doll then…

His hand. Yes that’s it. That should give him a chance. Zork starts boasting, and now that he’s distracted Ryou has a chance to think. He’s got to think of something, anything that he can do. If he’s right he should focus on his left hand. He should be able to move… something, anything!

His sight falls to the table, and his body opens the drawer. He instantly recognizes the dolls as several of his friends and classmates. A fury rises up inside him. How could he?! His body grabs a pair of dice, is there someone in there, too? Zork feels extremely confident about using these dice. That can’t be good.

“You’ve had your turn, so now Zork gets his.”

Ryou watches the dice fall, and he starts to struggle again. He has to do something, anything, he must-!

“A super critical!”

No!

“Zork unleashes his attack, Black Magic Dark Catastrophe!”

NO

He watches as the figures, his friends, fly off from the blast. There’s no way they could survive a direct hit from a boss monster, especially not  **this** monster. His body laughs while all he wants to do is scream. Move! Do something. Do anything! He can feel his hand-

“Well then, it’s pointless, but I’ll calculate each characters status on the computer,” Zork is smug, merely toying with Yugi who is staring down, devastated. “There are so many variables in this game, it’ll be safest to let the computer crunch all the data.”

That’s it- now’s his chance to act. He just needs to mess up on digit, alter one variable, anything, and then-!

“What?!” He hears Zork bellow.

“You guys made it!” the relief on Yugi’s face gives Ryou hope. They can win!

“Are you guys okay?” Jonouchi asks, his figure scratched up.

“Good, we’re good,” Honda answers. “Everyone’s still alive.”

Ryou watches as the dolls all stand back up. And though they’ve been battered and beaten around, they’re still helping each other stand. They won’t lose. Not if he can help it. And he’s going to make sure Zork gets his message. He’s not the only Dark Master in this game. He gets to work with his free hand. He works through all the tabs, typing like mad, all the keying makes his body turn. Finally. He takes the chance and opens the webcam and faces the screen to him.

“Zork!” He sees his eyes widen in shock, Zork pulling up his hand to look at it. Ryou grins, a sense of power and control falling back within him. “ **I** am Ryou Bakura, and I won’t let you kill my friends!”

This isn’t the end Zork. The game’s just begun.


	10. Chapter 10

His body looks up and over at the others, and they’re just as surprised to hear Ryou’s voice shouting through the speakers as Zork is.

“Guys, look at Bakura’s expression!” Honda points up at his body.

“That guy's not Bakura!” Anzu exclaims.

“Yeah, we remember! The real Bakura’s a good guy!” Jonouchi thrusts up his sword, a huge grin on his face. “He wasn’t lying, he’s really our friend!”

“Guys!” A swell of courage spills through him, hearing all of his friends voices causes him to smile. Yet with a determined expression, Ryou looks Zork straight in the eye. “This has gone far enough, Zork! From now on, you’ll have to deal with me too! I’ll fight with everyone!”

“I won’t be your pawn any more!”

Zork’s shock shifts into a grin as he starts laughing. “And what can you possibly do with just one hand? If you insist so much, I’ll let you watch as I destroy your friends, dearest brother. But I won’t let you get in my way!”

He moves the computer away from his left hand. “With the computer out of reach, you’re as powerless as ever!”

Zork cackles but Ryou’s grin doesn’t falter. It’ll take a lot more than simply moving the laptop to make him powerless. Zork looks back up at Yugi. “Now, according to the initiative scores, Anzu’s magician goes next! But her score ties with Zorks, that means they both go at the same time! Of course, first attack will be decided by a die roll. Is that fair enough for you, Yugi?!”

He glances down at the computer, but Ryou persists, smiling confidently up at him. Does he trust his friends that much? Pathetic! He readies his plan, but Ryou’s one step ahead.

“We both throw the dice. The one closest to zero goes first! Are you ready?” he bares his sharp teeth in a savage grin. “Let’s go, Yugi, our fate hangs on this roll!” His laughter turns into a morbid cackling as Yugi’s die land on 09. “This game is over, Yugi! Prepare yourself! Zork moves faster than the magician Anzu, he raises his claw to attack and-!”

Yugi snickers, causing his body’s blood to run cold. “W-what’s so funny…?!”

It’s satisfying to hear the spirit stutter, for once not in control of everything.

“Are you blind, Bakura? Take a good look at your roll!”

He looks down at his dice, and simultaneously a wave of relief washes over him as a pang of panic runs through his body. It’s nauseating but he has to keep going. A 10, the guys are safe for another turn. He can feel the confusion and fear consume his body. They can do it!

“Heh, like you said, the dice don’t lie, Bakura.” Yugi smirks at him, hands folded across his chest.

Zork picks up the dice, looking at them with fear. It seems like he hasn’t fully caught on yet. Ryou has to use this to his advantage. “Alright, so you’re healed. But compared to Zork you’re still nothing more than insignificant ants! Even at full hp, Zork’s attack will blow you to dust on his next turn. Get ready! Zork hits on an eighty or less. If he does, then you ALL take damage!”

Ryou grins.

Zork’s eyes widen as he sees his other hand- no, Ryou’s hand, roll the other set of dice.

I’m sorry. For everything that’s happened, guys I’m sorry. But I need help. I need help to protect Yugi and his friends. For everyone! “I won’t let you control me anymore! You **won’t** control me!”

“He fumbled! Zork blew himself up!”

The others all celebrate and cheer behind him, Ryou smiling wide. Whoever was in the dice, they heard his heart, they heard his plea and helped him. Even after all of this, they still helped him. He’s so grateful. This is what friendship’s about. Trust.

Zork yells out in frustration, clutching onto his left hand. “This… this damn left hand!” He laughs, tightening his grip. “Enough playing around, dearest brother. Stay out of my way!”

He slams the back of his hand on one of the model’s towers, impaling it on the spike. Ryou flinches, gripping on his arm. He can feel the pain. And yet, it makes him a bit happy, to feel anything at all. Zork’s losing his cool. Zork grits his teeth, laughing through the pain as he tries to press on. Turning to see the computer, Ryou is there, smiling back confidently at him.

He’s going to keep fighting.

“Everyone, I believe in all of you! We believe in you! So defeat him, defeat Zork!”

“Enough from you!” Zork snarls, getting Ryou off the screen. He turns his focus to Yugi. “Next, is the beast tamer. It’s your move, Yugi.”

Ryou’s back to experiencing everything from his body. His hand stings, but it’s a pain he can deal with. He can’t give up now. His spirit is stronger than ever, they’re going to find a way! Zork isn’t allowed to win, not anymore. They’re going to win!

“Game master! The beast tamer will try his hand power on Zork, Lord of Darkness!” Yugi exclaims, pointing at Zork.

He stares at Yugi incredulously. “What? You can’t be serious. Do you honestly think that’ll work on Zork?” He laughs wildly. “A useless effort! Zork would never become your ally! Even if it meant the end of the world!”

Ryou’s just as surprised. He would have never attempted that in a game like this. But he has to have faith. His friends can do it, they have the spirit to defeat Zork. He watches as Yugi throws the dice. He rolls a critical! “The training hand appears!”

His sight turns white. Someone is pulling his hand, guiding him through the darkness. It’s… the same presence from before. There’s a flash of blue, and Ryou feels himself truly breaking free from the darkness, free from the suffocating clutches of emptiness. He falls to his knees, hearing Yugi’s voice next to him.

“You… you’re Bakura, aren’t you!”

A bubbly laugh escapes him, a warmth spreading through his heart. His spirits free! He’s in control of himself again.

“Thank you! Everyone, thank you for saving me!” He could cry, but he stands tall and proud, recognizing the power within as it builds. “I’m the White Mage Bakura! Please let me join your party!”

Everyone cheers when they see him, jumping for joy as they recognize Ryou as their friend. It’s a relief, they want him there, they don’t blame him for the others actions. He’s nearly shaking from his excitement. He can do it, he can help them fight! Yugi steps up next to him, a huge smile beaming on his face. “Let’s defeat Zork, together!”

Ryou grips on his staff, giving Yugi a determined nod. “Okay!”

Zorc looks shocked. He starts laughing more wild and desperate than before, his control slipping from his hands. “It’s still your turn. The magic gunman goes next!”

Yugi drops the dice. “The gunman attacks, with a fifteen!”

Honda takes aim and fires his pistol, blasting a hole through Zork’s side. The others all stare amazed at the damage he’s left behind.

“What’s going on? That hurt him a lot more than before!” Jonouchi exclaims, looking to Yugi for an explanation.

Ryou lowers his staff, a faint glow coming from the ring at the tip. “As a non player character, I obey the will of the TRUE game master!” He gives a pointed look up at Zork, his defiance clear as day. “I’ve lowered Zork’s defenses with my white magic.”

He looks back at the team. “This is the least I can do… you saved me from the darkness in Zork’s heart. So please, let me fight with you this time!”

Zork stares in disbelief, panic flashing across his face. He’s lost full control of this game, and Ryou’s enjoying every second of it. This is it. This is going to be their victory! But to everyone’s surprise, Zork grins, a chuckle escaping past his lips as a dark power begins to rise around them. It gathers within Zork’s figure.

“Look!” Yugi points ahead. “Zork’s changing shape!”

No, this is bad. “He’s transforming into his final form! His attack and defense both level up!” Ryou warns, watching in horror.

“And now it’s Zork’s turn. His long awaited attack-!”

Ryou’s mind races thought all his possible options. Think Ryou think, what would he do in this scenario? Raise everyone defenses, lower Zork's attack- no, it all depends on Zork’s roll.

“Super critical! Zork inferno!”

There’s no time. Ryou steps in front of the team, his staff glowing. He has to protect everyone. “White magic! Shining shield level thirteen!”

A shield appears in front of the team, taking the brunt force from the attack, but everyone still takes damage. Ryou doesn’t back down, holding up the shield with all of his might. He can’t let them down, he can’t let Zork win.

“White Mage! How long can your magic shield last against Zork’s flames?” He cackles, a malicious glint burning in his eyes. “How long do you think can keep this up, dearest brother?!”

“E-everyone! Hang in there!” He struggles against the might of Zork’s attack, but refuses to back down. He must protect his friends. He won’t lose anyone else to this monster! Even as his magic is drained, he knows what to do. He starts converting his health into magic, keeping up the shield.

Finally the attack passes, and everyone is still standing, just barely hanging on. Ryou drops down to his knees, the staff dropping from his grasp. The others run to his aid, Yugi starting to try and help him to his feet.

“Bakura! You risked your life to save us!” Yugi cries, looking worried.

“Just wait Bakura,” Anzu holds her staff. “I’ll use my healing magic next turn to-!”

“Anzu!” He interrupts her, looking determined. “If you have enough magic to heal me, use all of that energy on your attack!” He smiles faintly. “I’m alright, but I don’t have enough power to protect everyone again. If we don’t defeat him this turn, we’re finished.”

Jonouchi helps Ryou stand up fully on his feet. “We got you, Bakura! Don’t worry, we won’t let you die alone.”

“Alright, time to counter attack!” Honda readies his pistol.

Yugi stares up at Zork but then looks back at the other Yugi, the two sharing a quiet understanding.

Ryou notices this, and is unable to stop himself from comparing their relationship to his own. His gaze falls up to Zork, the Dark Master who’s wearing his face like a mask. It can’t be a coincidence, that both he and Yugi happened on these items, that both of them gained “another self”. Zork had mentioned ancient souls and tombs, is this fight what he was truly after? Why was he led down this path? There’s so much he doesn’t understand...

The two Yugi’s share looks of understanding and trust. There’s no lying and deceit. Everyone trusts this other Yugi to protect and look out for them. He doesn’t have the full story, but from what he can gather, the other Yugi is the polar opposite of Zork. A force of good trying to save his friends. While Zork is a force of chaos, trying to destroy everything Ryou holds dear. He’s positive this other Yugi would never pretend to be Yugi’s late sister, that much is made clear.

This bitter realization fuels Ryou with a sense of purpose. He won’t let this demon win. Just because he got cursed with the ring, doesn’t mean he has to be it’s victim. He isn’t a victim. Not anymore.

Back on the board, Yugi looks at Zork, his eyes widening. “Ah! It’s the eye! The eye’s his weak point!”

“The muzzle of Zork’s death weapon, the Eye of Zork!” The other Yugi muses poetically.

Zork cackles, throwing his arms out wide. “It’s too late! If the emission spot is closed, your attacks will be powerless! **I win!** ”

Ryou picks up his staff, holding it with a tight grip. He’s ready. He’ll convert his last life point to lower Zork’s defense- a gasp escapes him. Yugi’s monster partner zips by, trapping itself in the opening on Zork’s chest.

Everyone cries out for the little monster, compassion and fear in their anguished shouts. But the monster is ready to sacrifice itself for them, demanding the others to attack now while they have the chance. It’s incredible. Even such a creature is willing to put it’s life on the line for them, for it’s friends. THIS is friendship. Not the twisted manipulation or gathering a soulless collection as Zork would have him believe.

“Poki… thank you. But!” Jonouchi grins at the monster. “We won’t sacrifice a friend who’s fought with us in battle! An evil soul isn’t worth an ounce of a friends life!”

“No one gets left behind.”

Ryou’s heart clenches in his chest. That’s it. The words he’s wanted to hear so desperately all his life…

“Let’s go! The beat tamer attacks!” The other Yugi rolls. “Critical training hand! Jet stream punch!”

The hand blasts through Zork’s weak spot, coming out the other side with Poki! They take him to safety and the group celebrates. A large hole rests in Zork’s chest, Ryou can’t help but put a hand on his own. He watches Zork squirm in place. There’s a satisfaction in watching the demon taste defeat. He hopes it’s eating him up from the inside.

“Now the warrior strikes!” he rolls a one. “Explosive energetic slash!”

Jonouchi jumps forth, giving a mighty swing and slashes Zork’s figure clean in half. The massive form collapses to the ground. They did it. They defeated Zork! Everyone cheers from their victory!

Until it moves again.

Zork’s laughing wildly in his seat. “The fact you didn’t finish Zork this turn will be your downfall! On the next turn, Zork and the adventurers must roll for initiative again! Yugi! This is the final turn, the last roll, so get ready! The instant my roll defeats yours, Zork will self destruct! All of you will die, leaving **me** the victor!”

The other Yugi grits his teeth, determined. “I’ll take you on, Dark Master.”

Everyone cheers for the other Yugi, all of their faith residing with him. Yugi looks up at him, giving a small nod. “Other me… You can do it.”

Ryou can feel it. Everyone’s hearts are in Yugi’s dice. All of their faith, all of their trust. Their power lies in his hands. But something feels wrong. Ryou looks up at Zork, there’s a look in his eyes. His laughter is wild, but confident. No, there’s something more. He has something up his sleeve, a final, dirty trick.

“Get ready! Your next adventure **will be in hell**.”

No. Ryou won’t allow this. There’s something he can do. If there’s any part of him left in his body, he must act now! He must stop Zork! This is the final stretch!

“It’s time for the dice roll of fate!”

Time slows as the dice fall from their hands. Ryou feels the anxiety rise, the tensions palpable. This is it. Everything rests on the dice.

The first set lands.

“Super critical!” the team cheers. “Yugi got the best roll in the game!”

But the other Yugi remains tense, his eyes set on the other dice. They finally land and… “super critical-!”

Zork bursts out into uncontrollable laughter, holding onto his sides. “The cruelest outcome! Just when you thought victory was within your grasp, you fall down to the jaws of defeat! Yes! This is great!” he cackles, a mad glint shining in his eyes. “You were right, dearest brother! This is the best game ever! Now! Zork blows himself up, taking all of you with hi-”

He freezes as a jittering sound comes from the table. His dice. He stares wide eyed as they start to _crack_.

Ryou stares directly at the spirit inhabiting his body. Though in this instance, **he’s** the spirit now. His ghostly form hovers from the dice. They lock eyes.

“I don’t want to lose any more friends!” Ryou shouts out. “I’m going to protect them all! Even of it means shattering my soul!”

He can hear his voice. Ryou smiles. He’s in control of his fate.

His eyes turn serious, locked with the spirits. "You’ve been lying to me..." the dice _crack_ . "You’ve hurt all my friends.” _crack_ "You’ve hurt people in my name." _crack_ "and you **pretended to be Amane.** " _crack_ "I won’t let you use me anymore!"

Zork is freaking out. The fear and panic rises within him and Ryou can’t help but feel smug. It’s just as he told them, after all, right when he thought he had victory within his grasp, they’re taking it back!

“You wouldn’t!” Zork cries. “You won’t be able to put your soul back into your body, brother! That’s **suicide**!”

Ryou’s eyes widen. Is that… is he worried for him? That demon is scared for HIS sake? No, it’s another trick. And it’s too late now. He’s decided what he must do, and he will go through with it. He’s in control of his fate now. Not Zork, not the ring.

He won’t be a victim in this story.

“Yugi, everyone, thank you... thank you for believing in me!” And to everyone he’s hurt… may they find peace.

Let them be free.

A flash of icy blue fills his vision. Ryou closes his eyes and smiles. “Now, finish him.”

The dice shatter into dust.

Everyone stares at the dice with wide eyes, turning to look at the Ryou doll with worry. Yet he looks on ahead, determined, staring down the demon that resides with his body. The spirit reaches into his pocket, and Ryou narrows his eyes. There’s a look in Zork’s eyes that he can’t quite pinpoint. However, whatever Zork was planning, he seems to change his mind. Ryou glares daggers, daring him, just try anything else. He’s lost.

“Bakura…” The other Yugi clenches his fist, glaring at Zork. “So where’s your super critical? No dice? No roll! We attack! Prepare yourself, Zork! Everyone channels their anger into Anzu’s magic attack!”

“Final big bang!”

A giant blast emerges from Anzu’s staff, aiming straight for Zork. The spirit cries out as the figure’s body is blown away. The figure crashes into pieces, now destroyed once and for all. They did it. They won.

“We finally defeated Zork!”

Zork hangs there, sitting straight for a solid minute, in shock. Finally, he collapses onto the table, the string around his neck snapping. The ring chimes as it drops to the floor, and after it another object thuds against the ground. Something else fell from Zork’s grasp, but Ryou didn’t catch what it was. And honestly, he doesn’t care.

Ryou watches, feeling a weight off his chest. A sigh escapes his lips as he finally relaxes.

It’s over.

“Hey, if we did it why are we still down here?” Jonouchi asks, scratching his head.

Honda looks up at the other Yugi. “How are we supposed to get back to our bodies?”

Ryou thinks it over. The game can’t really end without the DM wrapping up the story. But if Zork’s gone that means… Ryou smiles. “We still need a dm to officially end the game.” He looks at the others. “It’s my job to send you guys back.”

“Wait, but what about you, Bakura?” Anzu asks, worry flashing across her face.

“Bakura you’ll come back with us, right?”

He looks at Yugi, before looking at his body. “I don’t know. He said breaking my soul within the dice would be suicide…”

“Then we’ll look for a way to get you out!” Jonouchi declares. “We’ll play and finish another game or something!”

Yugi nods. “We won’t leave you behind!”

He smiles, holding his staff close. “It’s okay, I’m not scared anymore. I now know what it’s like to have true friends, and to trust in others so much… so please! Trust me.”

“Bakura…” Honda looks to the others, everyone nodding.

Ryou turns up to face the other Yugi. “Yugi! Right now I’m afraid I’m just a doll in the game, I can’t move without the will of a player. So please! Throw the dice for me, roll to get all of our friends back home.”

Yugi looks Ryou in the eye and nods, gripping on the dice. “I will! Don’t worry, Bakura, I’m going to roll a critical!”

He drops the dice, landing on double zeros. He did it. Super critical.

Ryou smiles. “Everyone, thank you. White Magic! Word of Recall!”

A swell of magic flows through Ryou’s body, he feels incredible! A warmth flows from his heart out to his fingers and surrounds the group. They’re engulfed in a brilliant light, the souls all being freed from the spirit’s dark hold. Ryou feels a hand on his, a familiar smile and a twinkle of yellow eyes, before everyone is sent back to their bodies.

His senses are dulled, but a hand shaking his shoulder stirs him to awaken. He hears someone call his name. Mei…?

He squints, looking up into dark purple eyes. “Yugi…”

“Bakura! Thank goodness, are you okay?” Yugi smiles at him, utterly relieved.

Ryou groggily sits up, groaning quietly as the others all cheer around him.

“We did it!” cries Jonouchi.

“We’re back to normal!” Honda slaps Jonouchi on the back, the two celebrating.

Anzu smiles with tears in her eyes. “Bakura! You made it too!”

Ryou smiles warmly, nodding his head. Finally, he can relax, and the tears begin to fall. He did it- no.

“We did it.”

He starts laughing, everyone joining as all of their pent up anxiety and fears come out in waves, relief and joy taking hold. Ryou places a hand on his chest. All of the pain, the unbearable ache, it’s all gone now. The weight has lifted and he can breathe again.

What happens next is all just a giant, happy blur. Someone suggested they get food, and they settled on take out. A movie gets set up. It's one of the few non horror in his collection, apparently Jonouchi has a phobia of ghosts, and the rest of their time is spent in the company of friends. Friends who love and cherish Ryou. Friends that won’t be taken away from him so easily. Not anymore.

The golden ring lies forgotten on the floor of his game room, and beside it, the figure of White Mage Amane.


	11. Chapter 11

Amane.

He cries out for her to hear, but she won’t turn around. She won’t face him. A pale arm reaches forward, but she’s always just out of his reach. Her laughter rings like chimes in his ears. Amane always runs so much faster than he does. Even if he’s supposed to be the older twin, she’s the faster one, the bolder one.

Their mom scolds them for running in the house, but there’s always a fondness in her tone. They both head outside, running along the yard. But Amane persists, still running ahead of him. All he can see is the back of her head, white pigtails swaying with each step she takes.

But suddenly they’re taller, older. And she’s still running. Farther and farther away.

Amane please! Don’t leave, he doesn’t want to be alone!

He runs faster.

Ryou pushes himself to run faster, to finally catch up to Amane. He reaches out, and this time, he grabs her shoulder. “Amane-!”

She turns around, and Ryou’s blood runs cold.

Her eyes are red. Red like blood. Her grin is too wide, her teeth are too sharp. It isn’t Amane. This isn’t Amane.

“Dear brother, you did it, you caught me.” She speaks with a harshness that should never fall past her lips. Ryou feels a shudder run down his spine. As he takes a step back, she takes a step forward. “Does this mean I’m it?”

No. This is wrong. All wrong. “Get out of my head.”

“Why are you so cold to me? I’ve only been looking out for you,” not Amane steps closer. Ryou steps back, feeling trapped. “Dearest brother…”

Stop! Ryou feels his breath hitch in his throat, body frozen in fear. He wants to scream, but it feels as if he’s suffocating. It's as if the winds been knocked out of his lungs. All he can do is stare helpless, the demon wearing his sister’s face merely stepping closer. Their hand presses on his chest.

“Now it’s your turn, brother.” Their voice is quiet, a hiss in his ear. Sharp nails dig into his chest, piercing the skin. “You’re it.”

Ryou cries out, blood beginning to spill down the wounds. The imposter steps back, a fake, cold smile lying perfectly on Amane’s face. Her fingers are as red as her eyes, the contrast stark against her porcelain skin. He fumbles and grips at his shirt, and to his horror, he finds the ring, piercing through his flesh. No. No no no no no. This was over, it was supposed to be over-!

He stumbles back before tripping over his feet, and he begins to fall.

Amane-!

He tries to reach for her. Desperate to escape the dark. But she turns his back on him and laughs.

Ryou’s body lurches forward, slumping onto the table. Brown eyes flutter open, startled, as he takes in his surroundings. He sits up, rubbing his sore face. What happened?

His gaze falls to the table, looking at the pieces he’s been working on. Right, his project. He must have fallen asleep while he was working on it. Tired eyes look to the clock, 4:36 in the morning. He sighs, leaning back in his chair. His body aches from discomfort, but he does nothing to move or remedy the problem. If he was going to be honest he’d rather just avoid sleeping all together.

He hasn’t had a good nights sleep in… he doesn’t remember, the last time he slept without a nightmare. Visions of Amane plague his dreams, even with that demon eradicated, the damage has been done. No matter what anyone says, no matter how much he tries to convince himself, he’s not okay. He thought Amane was living with him for **months**. And now he has to accept it was all a lie.

It’s easier to ignore it all when he’s around Yugi and his other friends. They are really great at cheering him up. He really feels like he can trust them, that they enjoy his company. Anzu, Honda, Jounouchi, and Yugi are all really wonderful people. Ryou will admit he finds it easiest to be around Yugi, but that’s because he knows Yugi will understand him the best. Even if Ryou won’t open up about… what’s happened, he knows on some level Yugi gets it.

That’s why, instead of sleeping, Ryou’s been spending his nights working on something special. A diorama of their adventure. It eases his heart, when the nights seem coldest, to think of his friends that he cherishes so dearly.

He may dread falling asleep, but at least he’s got something to wake up for. Maybe one day, he’ll be okay again.

Ryou stretches before standing up. He should at least wash up for now, he’s probably a mess. In the bathroom he washes his hands and face. His eyes flicker up, seeing the sheet draped over the bathroom mirror. Everything reflective has been covered in his apartment. He hasn’t looked into his reflection since… well it’s not like he really needs to. He’s sure he looks fine enough. Ryou dries off his face with a towel. It’s fine, everything’s fine.

Since it’s so early, he’ll finish up the diorama before getting ready for school. There’s no point in going back to sleep now. He’ll get a glass of water and continue his project. He walks out of the bathroom and walks past the gameroom, not so much as sparing it a glance as he passes. There’s nothing in there for him now.

He yawns. Maybe he should get a coffee, or an energy drink.

Grabbing his keys, Ryou kicks on his shoes and steps out of his apartment without another thought. Any reason to get out of there is a good enough reason for him these days. The walk is quiet, the streets dark and empty. There’s just the orange glow of street lights giving him guidance. He should fear the dark, but he knows if he just fights hard enough, he can just escape it’s clutches.

So he needs to keep moving.

It’s then, as he passes closed stores and dark buildings, that he realizes no one's going to be open at four in the morning. But since he’s already out, he might as well continue the walk. If he goes back home empty handed, he’ll fall asleep. Can’t have that. So he wanders.

His feet are on autopilot, and his mind feeling empty. He tries to not let his thoughts wander too far on their own. Things become harder to ignore that way. It’s for the best that he just ignores what haunts him and continue striving forward. He should be happy now, he won his body back. He’s free of the curse, the ring no longer haunts him.

So then, why doesn’t he feel like a winner?

The path he’s following… its familiar. Too familiar. He stops, body freezing up as he noticies where he is. It’s his old school. Directly in front of him, the place where it all went sour. Ryou’s blood runs cold, memories flashing before his eyes. He stumbles back, breath catching in his throat. Why. Why did he come here?

He takes off running.

Run, run as fast as his legs can carry him. He can’t go there, he’s trying desperately to forget. To just bury it all deep down. Yet the fear creeps up in his chest, tears prickling in his eyes. His breathing is fast and uneven, panic flashing in his mind. If he keeps running, he can’t get hurt. He just needs to keep running.

Soon his apartment complex comes into view, and for once he’s relieved by the sight. It’s late enough, he can quickly change and head out to school. His day can start better, just ignore everything and continue forward.

He’s so tired.

But he can’t let himself sleep. And it’s too late now to indulge on that horrible idea. Honestly, if he didn’t hate being at home so much he’d skip school all together. But he has nowhere else to go. It’s just the lack of sleep that's catching up to him, and is starting to take its toll. He’s so tired, he hasn’t been paying much attention in class these days. Unfortunately for him, a few of his teachers have noticed and have scolded him for it.

A small part of him wishes he was being ignored again, it’d be easier that way.

“Bakura! You’re here early.”

No, he doesn’t want to be ignored. Ryou gives Jonouchi a tired smile, walking over to his friend. “I could say the same thing for you, aren’t you usually getting in minutes before the bell?”

Jonouchi grins. “I haven’t gotten caught late yet though. But I was supposed to meet Yugi and Anzu early today. Guess I’m too early, they’re not here yet.”

Ryou looks around, a few students have gathered at the school, but it’s still pretty empty compared to how it usually is. “That’s nice…”

His eyes glaze over slightly, stifling a yawn. Jonouchi looks at him, worry on his face as he pats his friend's back. “Hey are you okay? You’re not looking too hot.”

“Hmm? Yeah I’m fine, just had a rough night.” Ryou puts on a smile, not wanting to worry his friend.

Jonouchi’s not buying it. He leans in a bit closer, speaking in a hushed tone. “It’s not the other guy again, is it? That spirit bothering you?”

Ryou’s eyes widen as he quickly shakes his head. “No, no it’s not like that, I swear.”

He can tell Jonouchi’s not convinced. One thing he quickly learned with this group is that they care and worry deeply about each other. And as sweet and warm as that feels, it’s not something Ryou feels all that accustomed to. Their affections can sometimes feel too aggressive.

“Listen, Bakura, you don’t have to always play the tough act, alright?” Jonouchi’s not always the best with his words, but the teen is always sincere. “You’ve got us now, so if something’s bothering you you can let us know. We’re here to help.”

Ryou slowly nods, hands gripping on his bag. He makes it sound like that’s easy. But every time Ryou opens up, ultimately he ends up getting hurt. He just needs to ignore it, and hopefully his problems will eventually go away…

“Jou, Bakura! Good morning guys!”

Jonouchi and Ryou look over, Yugi waving energetically. Him and Anzu come over to join them, both with warm smiles on their faces.

“I can’t believe you actually got here before us, Jou.” Anzu teases, nudging her friend.

“I said I would didn’t I? You calling me a liar??”

The two start their morning bicker session, leaving Yugi to smile up at Ryou. But his smile soon dissolves to worry, eyeing the bags under Ryou’s eyes. “Are you okay Bakura?”

It’s going to be hard to ignore his problems, isn’t it. “Yes I’m okay, just had a bad night last night.”

“Yugi, Bakura’s having a rough time, what do you think we should do?” Jonouchi asks, now Anzu’s looking over at Ryou concerned.

“G-guys I’m fine I promise.”

“You do look pale, what’s wrong, Bakura?” Anzu asks. She places a hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. “Are you getting sick?”

“You were nodding off in class the other day… have you not been sleeping well at all?”

With all their eyes on him, Ryou feels himself crumble under the pressure. He avoids their gazes, suddenly feeling small as he shrinks back. He takes a deep breath, controlling himself before he gets a full blown panic attack started.

“...I don’t like being at home.”

He admits quietly, but they all hear. The three share looks, nodding amongst themselves before smiling back at Ryou. Yugi puts his hand on Ryou’s arm. “We’d like to help you, if you’ll let us.”

Ryou looks to Yugi, the smaller teen always having this comforting vibe about him. Slowly, he relaxes. “What do you have in mind?”

“Maybe if we help make your home feel more comfortable, you’ll be able to sleep again.” Anzu smiles. “Let’s have a sleep over, it can’t be fun sleeping alone.”

Alone… Ryou hesitates before nodding his head. That could be fun, at least. He does enjoy spending time with his friends.

“Alright but I’m bringing some of my own movies over to watch.” Jonouchi states. “No offense, but I don’t think your creepy ghost movies are gonna make the place feel more inviting.”

“Jonouchi!” Anzu smacks his arm, scolding him.

Ryou blinks, a smile twitching at his mouth. He can’t help it, he starts laughing. Soon the others join him, the tension in the air dissipating. He’s grateful, really. And soon Honda arrives, joining the group. The others fill him in on their sudden plans, with Honda happily agreeing to come hang out for the night.

He doesn’t really believe that a sleepover will cure him of his nightmares, but the idea that they all care about him enough to try warms his heart. Maybe this won’t be a long term solution for this problems, but perhaps for one night he could have a decent night's sleep.

The rest of the school day was rather uneventful, save for one incident where he started nodding off during the lesson. Thankfully Jonouchi was there to cover for him, slamming his books on the ground to startle him awake. The teacher ended up scolding Jonouchi for being disruptive, not noticing at all that Ryou nearly passed out. And that definitely kept him awake for the rest of the lesson.

But the day comes to an end, and right as the group part ways, Yugi walks up to Ryou. He has a worried glint in his eyes. “Wait we shouldn’t split up, you said the problem is you don’t like being home alone.”

“I’ll be fine for a few hours.” Ryou smiles. “No need to worry.”

Ryou should have known better. “I’ll come walk with you, Bakura!”

“What about your stuff, Yugi?” Honda asks.

“It’s okay, I’ll go to your house and ask your mom what kind of games you usually take. I’ll bring them over for you.”

“Thank you Anzu- wait! No you can’t go into my room!” Yugi’s smile drops, now looking panicked.

Anzu blinks. “Huh? Why not? Yugi, you don’t have anything weird in there, do you?”

“It’s not like that!” Yugi’s face turns red, completely embarrassed.

“Don’t worry Yugi! I’ll go with her and make sure she doesn’t look through your stuff.” Jonouchi nods in an unspoken understanding, saluting Yugi.

“Alright seriously, what kind of stuff could you possibly have?” Anzu raises an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip.

“You wouldn’t understand Anzu, you’re not a guy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryou’s lips quirk up into a smile, amused by their antics. But the plan is set. Anzu and Jonouchi will go to Yugi’s house and gather his things, while also letting his mom know he’ll be sleeping over at a friends house. Honda will meet up with them along the way. Leaving Yugi to walk Ryou home and keep him company for the time being. Ryou tries to insist that it’s fine, but this is a group of mother hens that will hear none of it. So he passively agrees, now walking with Yugi toward his apartment complex.

They walk together mostly in silence. Yugi brings up small talk every now and then, but Ryou keeps hesitating. He can’t bring himself to open up. It doesn’t help with how exhausted he is, it’s getting hard to focus. Yugi notices and suggests they get a snack and take a breather for the time being.

He guides Ryou to a bench, and the two sit down. Yugi turns to face Ryou, no longer dancing around the topic.

“Bakura, what’s eating at you?”

Ryou doesn’t look at Yugi, not directly. But his eyes fall to the puzzle for a brief moment before looking away. He grips on his jacket, knowing Yugi won’t let the matter go until he gets a satisfactory answer.

He’s not sure what it is, but Ryou finally confesses.

“Yugi… it’s weird. I feel… I feel like you are the one person who will be able to understand me the most, but at the same time…” he looks down to his feet. “You’re too different. You’re not like me. Not you, not your other self, it’s the complete opposite and…”

His hands clench tight around his soda. “It makes me so jealous.”

The confession weighs heavy in the air. Yet a part of Ryou suddenly feels lighter. He can’t stop now, the floodgates have opened.

“Yugi, you have friends, and they care so much about you. Your other self protects you all… he doesn’t lie to you, he doesn’t hurt you in the worst possible way. He’s… the other you’s a guardian, while he…” his dents the soda can in his shaky grasp. “He was a thief that took everyone away. I-I didn’t ask for any of this to happen. All I ever wanted was to have friends! I wish things could be different, I wish they were better! But I… I’ve lived my whole life cursed.”

The smaller teen looks to Ryou, putting his own can down and shifts so he’s sitting closer him. “Bakura…” he looks up at the sky. “I don’t know, how I got such great friends, I mean. My only friend used to be Anzu. We’ve known each other since elementary school. But Jou and Honda…” he grabs the pendant hanging around his neck. “They became my friends thanks to the puzzle. I couldn’t ask for better friends. But it hasn’t always been perfect…”

Ryou finally looks up at Yugi. His story, it sounds familiar to him.

“At times, when everything starts going wrong, when the situation becomes too tough for me, I black out.” Yugi admits, causing Ryou’s eyes to widen. “And by the time I’m awake again, it’s all fixed but… but he’s not always the best person.”

Ryou grips on his jacket.

“I’ve heard so many things from the others. Sometimes he’s too violent, too rough on others. Even if we’re safe I-” he hesitates. There’s a far off look in Yugi’s eyes, a panic Ryou’s all too familiar with. “I can’t always agree with his methods. Bakura, I was scared. I’ve been scared of him, my other self, because he just seemed so cruel…”

Yugi looks Ryou in the eyes, holding the puzzle close to his chest. “But he’s protected me and my friends. And he listened to them. He became their friend too. And now, even if we can’t talk to each other, I can understand his heart. He means well. So I’ve chosen to trust him.”

Some bitter lurches inside Ryou’s gut. It’s similar, but also the opposite. Ryou **did** trust the spirit, at first. He was willing to listen and understand, but the spirit built their relationship on a lie. A lie he can never forgive him for.

“Trust…” he nearly spats out the word, hand gripping on his chest as if the pain returned. “That’s exactly what I did. That’s why all of this happened! But he did this to me- he hurt everyone I love! Why can’t you think-!”

“Bakura,” Yugi cuts him off, voice stern. But his features soften up into a warm smile. “It’s okay. It’s okay to be scared of your other self. I hope you feel safe again, someday. But if he comes back… I don’t know, I guess I just hope you two can understand each other, too. Of course you don’t have to forgive him right away! But if he doesn’t want to do his part-”

He pauses, now sitting up straighter. The air around him changes to someone filled with boundless confidence, a glint of red shining within his deep purple eyes. The other Yugi.

“We’ll be there to protect you!”

“Yugi…” Ryou rubs his eyes, not wanting to cry. He’s had enough tears to last him a while. “...can I ask you something?”

The other Yugi nods his head. It’s strange for Ryou, speaking with potentially another spirit that is haunting a teenager. His eyes drift to the puzzle again. That’s what made Zork reveal himself. It all changed when they ran into the millennium puzzle.

“What do you know? About the puzzle and ring I mean.” Ryou asks, voice quiet but full of curiosity. Maybe if he could get some insight he’d understand better.

But Yugi merely shrugs nonchalant. That’s not what Ryou was hoping for as an answer. The disappointment must be obvious on his face, because the other Yugi looks a bit more sympathetic.

“I don’t know, my minds a puzzle.” he taps on his pendant. “It’s all as confusing for me as it is for you, I’m afraid.”

Ryou sighs, leaning back against the bench. The spirit had seemed so adamant to fight Yugi and face the puzzle, mentioning ancient souls and guardians and thieves and… it sounds like a huge mess. But the other Yugi doesn’t know anything about all of that? Maybe it’s for the best… his spirit was defeated, they don’t have to worry about all of that anymore.

“I’m surprised.” the other Yugi says, pulling Ryou from his thoughts. “I thought you’d ask something more along the lines of what made the other me and I come to an understanding.”

Ryou looks back at Yugi. “...it sounds like you learned to reign it in and you actually listen to others.”

“I’ve learned a lot, in this time I’ve spent awake. Friendship, trust, how deep bonds truly can go when you depend on someone…” Yugi looks Ryou straight in the eyes. “But it- I didn’t start like that. Something… happened, within me. The more I acted and learned, the more I started to care. I care if my friends get hurt, I care if someone goes after the other me.”

“I care about others now, it’s what drives me.”

Ryou stares at him, completely at a loss for words. He isn’t sure… what to say to that. Does the other Yugi want him to give the spirit a chance to learn and grow? He had plenty of chances to learn, Ryou was learning how to have friends at the same time! Ryou doesn’t… he can’t forgive the spirit. Not after everything he’s done.

Yugi’s expression grows serious. “But do know, if that spirit DOES return, and he threatens you again, we will help you. You’re our friend, Bakura.”

Ryou nods his head, watching as Yugi slinks back, purple eyes seeming wider, more innocent. So they switched again. He smiles a bit, still envious from the trust the two Yugi’s seem to share with each other. But it’s not their fault, and he’s happy Yugi can rely on his friends for support. He wouldn’t wish his situation to be on anyone’s shoulders.

Yugi smiles up at Ryou. “Are you feeling any better? Or do you want to keep talking?”

“I’m… I am doing better, thank you, Yugi.” Ryou smiles, standing up off the bench. “I’m ready to go home, should we keep going?”

Yugi hops up to his feet, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “Ready when you are, Bakura!”

The two walk on home together, both chattier as Ryou loosens up, more willing to contribute to the conversation than he was before. Things are still… messy, but the support and understanding of his friends is keeping Ryou afloat. He doesn’t feel like he’s drowning. He can only do his best and hope he’ll be okay. He wants to be okay, he wants to get better.

Ryou wants to be happy.


	12. Chapter 12

“A carnival?”

Ryou blinks, looking at his friends grinning faces in confusion. Jonouchi especially looks excited. They’re sitting together in class as they usually do, talking during their break.

“Yeah, there’s a carnival in town for the next few weeks, we gotta check it out!”

He can’t remember the last time he went to a carnival. Has he ever gone? Oh, there was one time when he was really little. His mother took him and Amane to go- ...he’d rather not think of that right now.

Yugi catches the sad glimpse on his face and speaks up. “Do you not like carnivals, Bakura?”

Ryou quickly holds up his hands, smiling nervous. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. Ahaha, I just haven’t been to one in years. I wouldn’t know what to expect.”

“All the more reason to come with us. It’ll be more fun if you go in a group.” Honda grins.

“Yeah, it won’t be the same if you don’t come with.” Jonouchi presses. “You gotta come with us.”

Ryou smiles more earnestly, flattered they want him to tag along. He thinks it over for a minute before nodding. “Alright, I’ll come too.”

“Yes! It’ll be great, we’re thinking of going this weekend. Does that work for you?” Yugi asks.

It’s not like Ryou’s ever busy. But he nods again and everyone excitedly starts making plans to meet up on the weekend. If anything, it will be nice to have a reason to be out of the apartment for the day. He can’t get over the feeling that he’s not truly alone in there.

And that thought terrifies him.

So he’ll try to bury those thoughts beneath him. He can be happy, he can go out, he can be normal. Everything’s going to be okay.

\---

He still has a few hours before he’s supposed to meet up with the others. But he’s already set to go. He doesn’t want to get there and wait for hours, that seems kind of pathetic? Ryou just feels antsy, when he’s home alone. Having the others drop by to visit, and even sometimes sleepover, has been helping him feel more at home. But that can only do so much.

It just feels… so haunted.

Ryou sits on his couch, flipping through the different channels on tv. Surely there’s something on he can distract himself with. Usually he’d put on a movie, but his usual favourites seem less fun under his current circumstances. Movies about ghosts and possessions hits a little too close to home. Chalk that up as one more thing the spirit has ruined for him.

His eyes glance at his collection of dvds. There are a few that aren’t horror related, but those were picked out by Ama- Zork, the spirit. Ryou doesn’t feel like watching those ones. Not right now. He idly flips through the channels, but can’t seem to find anything worth watching.

He could go work on the diorama some more. It’s moving slower than he’d like, but hopefully the end result will be worth it. Oh, but he usually gets really messy when he makes stuff like this. Right, he’ll worry about that later then, when he can dedicate more time to it.

Maybe he should play a game? Ryou frowns at the thought. He really hasn’t been in the mood for games, either. It doesn’t help that most of his favourite games are in the other room…

It’s fine, he doesn’t feel like playing anything. He’ll find something else to help him pass the time.

Ryou stifles a yawn and forces himself off the couch. No there’s no time for a nap. He walks to the kitchen, raiding his fridge till he finds something caffeinated enough to keep him awake. That is a good question, are they going to eat there? Or should he eat on his own? They made it sound like they’re going to hang out all day, so maybe he’ll snack now, and then they can eat together later on.

Wind chimes echo from the other room. He freezes up on spot, soda clutched tight in his hand. That shouldn’t be…

He hears it again, coming from the living room. Slowly, he steps out of the kitchen. Nothing looks different, and he doesn’t see anything gold… Tired eyes glance to the tv, and he realizes the sound is coming from the show. Ryou forces out a sigh, his whole body tense. Right, of course, he left the tv on. Nothing's wrong.

It’s okay, he’s okay.

Maybe he should head out now. He doesn’t have to go to the meeting spot yet. Ryou could go get something to eat, maybe walk around on his own for a while. Yeah, that can work fine. Nodding from his new found plans, Ryou grabs a coat, making sure to have his keys and wallet, before heading out of the apartment. He’s not running away, he’s just trying to make the most of his Sunday. It’d be a shame to waste any of it cooped up inside. He’ll let himself enjoy his Sunday morning, and then he’s going to go to the carnival!

Ryou isn’t sure if he’s a big fan of carnivals.

Having met up with Yugi and the others, they wasted no time getting inside to start exploring the area. The place is lively, meaning its over crowded with many, **many** , noisy people. He can’t help but feel a bit claustrophobic waiting in tight packed lines. The rides are fun, but he isn’t convinced they're up to code for safety and wellness laws. All of the food is overpriced and covered in grease. There’s always a screaming child within ear shot with an exasperated parent trying to sooth them. It’s noisy, very, very, noisy.

But everyone else appears to be having a blast, so he chalks it up to himself being a spoilsport. He does his best to appear like he’s having fun, too, and a part of him is. Like he said the rides are fun when you do get to ride them, safety concerns not included. And he likes getting to spend time with his friends. Jonouchi especially seems to be having a great time, even if he’s being constantly swindled at the different gaming booths. Maybe Ryou should warn him about how rigged they are, or is that a part of the fun?

Regardless, he won’t let himself have a bad time. He’s out of the house and spending time with people he likes. And it’s not like this is going to be a constant hang out spot for the group. He should enjoy the moment while it lasts, even if some things grate on his nerves.

“Bakura hurry up! Before Jonouchi leaves us all behind!”

Ryou blinks, looking over to see the group heading to another attraction. The sign calls it a funhouse. He hesitantly follows behind, but something in his gut tells him this is a bad idea. He stops at the entrance, unable to bring himself inside. The others notice, turning back to look at him.

“Oy, what’s wrong? You scared Bakura?” Jonouchi asks. “It’s a funhouse! C’mon it’ll be a riot!”

“Jou, don’t be rude.” Anzu scolds. “Who’s the one that refuses to watch any of the movies he likes?”

“Hey, those are actually terrifying!”

Yugi smiles up at Ryou. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”

Ryou grips on his shirt a bit. He really doesn’t want to go inside. But the way they’re all staring at him, he feels like he should just suck it up and follow them. Against his better judgement, Ryou sighs and smiles. “I’m coming, sorry for delaying you guys.”

“Alright! Let’s get moving. I gotta see this!” Jonouchi and Honda rush inside, Anzu rolling her eyes as she follows behind them.

Yugi waits for Ryou, smiling as they walk inside together. Ryou’s grateful for Yugi being so understanding. And as they walk around it’s clear he had nothing to worry about. It’s a child version of a haunted house, with cute little tricks and traps meant to entertain the patron. Yes everything's fine, and Ryou even finds himself enjoying the experience. There’s less people and noise.

It’s not until the maze that things start going wrong.

“I like this set up, the maze makes this building feel bigger than it really is.” Ryou smiles, walking with Yugi. “But imagine at halloween, and having someone chase you through here.”

Yugi laughs, looking up at Ryou. “That sounds terrifying; don’t say that around Jonouchi, he’ll never come back in here.”

Both boys laugh as they traverse through the maze. Ryou picks up the idle chatter, feeling much more at ease than he has in a long while. There’s something about being around Yugi that helps him feel more relaxed. Though, speaking of Yugi, he hasn’t answered Ryou in a while.

Ryou stops and looks back, realizing he’s alone. “Yugi? Yugi are you there?”

He tries to backtrack, but he may have taken a wrong corner. This isn’t good, his sense of direction has gotten jumbled up in the tricky maze. It’s alright, just go back that way and he’ll find Yugi again. He thinks. It’s hard to tell which way is back. Ryou squints, trying to make out the tiny coloured lights pointing in different directions. It’s kind of hard to see. He can’t tell where he’s been.

The maze wasn’t this long, was it? Ryou looks around. It looks like it just keeps going. Each step he takes, his surroundings get darker... His eyelids droop, feeling heavy, while his vision hazes from exhaustion. It’s getting harder and harder to see... As if to make up for it, everything else is getting louder.

A cool breeze brushes past him, causing him to shiver. Ryou hugs himself as he continues on, wandering lost in the maze. The floor creaks, echoing around him with each step he takes. Damn cheap floors. There’s thumps from other people knocking into the walls. Ryou holds his breath. Even his breathing sounds too loud.

Worst of all is the voices.

There’s too many voices. Ryou knows it must be from the other people exploring the funhouse. But he can’t make out what they’re saying, and they sound so close. Too close. It’s like… they’re in his head.

_Bakura_

Ryou freezes. He stands there, still as a statue, with wide eyes. He could have sworn he heard his name. No, no he’s just hearing things. It’s because it’s dark. Too dark. And the walls are close. Too close. Ryou hugs himself, trying to calm down. Yet his heart won’t stop rapidly beating in his chest, tensions rising up through his body.

_Bakura_

_Bakura_

**_Bakura_ **

Stop! It's too much, he knows these voices. The voices―they’re in his head! Constantly screaming his name again, and again, and again! Voices are yelling for him, pleading for him. He knows these voices. Each one belongs to a victim that’s fallen from his hands. Teachers, classmates, friends, Kazuo, Hina, Mei-! They’re all yelling at him. They want answers, mercy, payback! They all have lost so much because of him. All this time, they’ve lost so much. Everything's been taken from them. It’s all his fault. He couldn’t do anything to help them. To save them.

They’re haunting him. They’ll never leave. Their voices are constant reminders of what Ryou’s done, what he failed to do. It’s all his fault. And it’s all because of―

A light flashes, a glimmer caught in the corner of his eye. Ryou turns.

Only to be greeted by red eyes.

Fear overtakes his senses, Ryou instantly taking a step back as he sees him. It’s the spirit, the demon! Right in front of him is a full body mirror. Projecting his worst nightmare, it’s acting as a doorway, a canvas of his fears. The spirit’s features sharpen, eyes wide and wild, as they pierce right through Ryou’s soul.

Red eyes narrow in anger. _Who do you think you are? ‘I’m Ryou Bakura, I fight for my friends!’_ the spirit hisses, words full of venom and malice. _You’re delusional. You should be_ **_dead_ ** _._

No. No this can’t be real. Ryou quickly turns, only to see he’s surrounded by mirrors. His heart races, his breathing is fast and irregular, while panic bubbles to the surface.

_You’ve never been more than a lonely pawn, wasting away without a soul to pity you. And when I finally give you a purpose, a reason to exist, you try and sacrifice yourself for others?! You’re a fool, an idiot! Who do you think  you are?!_

“Shut up!” Ryou snaps, awash with anger, confusion, fear- it’s all too much for him to take. “You’re not supposed to be here! YOU died. Yugi- the others- **I** killed you!”

 _You think you can kill me?_ The spirit laughs, panicked and unruly. _I told you! We’re bound forever, dearest brother! I won’t die unless I get to drag you into hell with me!_

“Get out!”

Rage. Pure, raw rage, invokes Ryou’s mind. He already won his freedom back. He won’t be haunted, not anymore! He pulls back his arm, swinging with all his might as he punches the mirror. A loud _crack_ echos through the maze, his pale fist spilling blood down the cracks.

Blood. It’s red, red like the spirits wide eyes. The cracks splinter like a spider's web along the mirrors surface, deforming his reflection. It looks softer…

It looks like Amane.

Ryou takes a few stumbled steps back, terrified to his core. Amane. No. His eyes narrow. This is a trick. Another, low, ugly trick. The spirit, this demon, is trying to hurt him. Again. How can he be so sick? Ryou’s fist clenches, gritting his teeth. The demon wants to drag him into hell? Then he’ll have to take him kicking and screaming the whole way down!

A savage scream rips from his throat. Ryou shatters the mirrors, he won’t let this monster hurt him anymore.

Red. Everything is so red. Those horrid red eyes are all that’s left around him, staring down at him. Blood trickles down Ryou’s hand, staining his pale skin. He falls to his knees, panting, utterly exhausted. His head falls into his hands as he starts to cry.

_Bakura_

The voices call his name. Again and again. He can feel it. The icy grip of the darkness trying to take it’s hold on him. It’s suffocating. His body trembles as he curls in on himself. Stop. He wants it all to stop.

Please.

“Bakura!” A hand takes his shoulder, causing Ryou to flinch, brown eyes snapping open.

“Easy there it’s me, Honda.” his friend comes into view, Ryou pulling back from contact. “I’m here, it’s okay. Breathe.”

Ryou can’t calm his breathing, heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He looks at Honda, as tears pour down his face. Wasn’t he just-? Mirrors, there were so many mirrors.

“N-No!” he chokes out, body trembling. Dizzy, he’s so dizzy. “H-He’s here-! He’s back, he’s back and I-I’m trapped-!”

Honda grabs him firmly by the shoulders. “I’m going to get you out of here. Breathe Bakura, it’s going to be okay.”

Honda doesn’t understand, he doesn’t realize how dangerous this is! Ryou struggles, trying to get free from his friend’s grasp, but he’s too weak. He’s always too weak. Hot tears stream down his face and the fight dies within him, all he wants to do is cry. Ryou falls into Honda, gripping on his friend’s jacket as he sobs.

Honda wraps his arms around Ryou, holding him as he cries it out.

When he’s calm enough, he doesn’t fight back when Honda picks him up, neither one saying a word. Together they leave the funhouse, Ryou feeling utterly humiliated and exhausted. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.

“Bakura!”

The others all run to join them, Honda carefully lowering Ryou back to his feet. Ryou can’t look any of them in the eye. Had he imagined all that? Or did it really happen? He can hardly focus as they start showering him with worry, Ryou only feeling more suffocated. He has nowhere to run off to, nowhere safe to hide, to escape.

“Bakura your hand…”

Tired eyes gaze down at his pale hand, it’s cut up and bleeding from the punches. Great, now both of his hands have been wounded because of that damned spirit… Ryou’s heart clenches, the spirit’s back. He isn’t safe, his friends aren’t safe. He holds his hand up to his chest, the panic washing over him like the tide. There’s nothing he can do, it was a lie. It was all a lie.

“Are you okay? I think you should sit down, you look really pale…”

No, he can’t stay here. He needs to get away.

“Bakura snap out of it!” Jonouchi grabs his arms, shaking Ryou. “You need to pull yourself together!”

Ryou looks up at Jonouchi with wide eyes. Why won’t he let him run?! “You don’t understand… none of you understand, you don't get it all all! Stop acting as if you do!”

“We know we don't understand, but we’re trying to damnit! YOU’RE the one who won’t cooperate with us! Everytime we think we’re getting through to you you close up again! Why? You were doing better weren’t you? So you should just stick with us!”

“Jonouchi that’s enough!” Anzu says stern, worry flashing in her eyes.

“But it’s true! I know I messed up here, but he won’t get better if he doesn’t let us help! He’s gotta let us help or he’ll end up alone and in pain! I can't let him do that to himself. I can't just sit and watch!”

Ryou rips himself back from Jonouchi’s grasp, tears welling up in his eyes. “I don’t need to be your charity case!” Ryou shouts, his words filled with spite. “If I’m such a nuisance, I’ll just go, then you won’t have to bother with me anymore! Just don't get in my way!”

He takes off running. To where, he doesn’t know, but he’ll go as far away as he possibly can, as fast as his legs will take him. The others shout his name, but they all fall on deaf ears. He knew it. All this time, he’s truly been alone. No one understands, and how could they? He’s been cursed. He’s cursed and the only thing he can do is accept his fate. He’s doomed to be alone, forever.


	13. Chapter 13

Where did he go wrong?

Ryou is left to wander alone, with only his thoughts to accompany him. He doesn’t know where he’s headed, for he has nowhere to go. His home is a prison. And he can’t rely on his friends. He’s alone. He’s always been alone. Tears well up in his eyes. Just how many tears has he shed? 

The skies darken up above him. The suns now covered with murky gray clouds. A cold chill wafts through the air, causing Ryou to cling closer to his coat. Please, don’t start... 

A droplet hits his cheek. Ryou looks up. And it begins to rain.

He should seek shelter. It isn’t wise to wander aimlessly in the rain like this… but he can’t get himself to care. Ryou presses on, hands in his pockets. His white hair is soaked, with the long locks clinging to his face. A deep chill seeps into his skin. Each step feels heavy. Feet splash against the puddles, his reflection being covered and dispersed before it can appear.

How can this get any worse? What was the point of any of this? He’s back right where he started. Alone. But now he has fresh wounds and trauma to carry with him. His posture slouches, everything feels just so heavy. Too heavy. He stops. 

“This is… this is too fucking much! I can’t take it anymore!”

He screams. And screams and screams and screams. 

His emotions rise like the tide, crashing against him in waves of hatred, agony, despair. It’s all too much. Ryou clutches at his head, fingers digging into the wet locks. He’s soaked to the bone. His throat is raw from the screaming, but he can’t stop. Out. He needs to get out.

Run.

That’s all he can do. Run. Run from his friends. Run from his problems. But his demons always catch up. No matter how far he goes, how fast he runs, the darkness always sneaks up on him. He’s caught in it’s cold, lifeless clutches. He’s trapped. That’s why… it’s why he has to run. 

And Ryou runs. The world all blurs around him, mixing into a gray haze. His feet pound against wet pavement. Finally, he stops, lungs burning. He doubles over, trying to catch his breath. His whole body is trembling from the cold. Where is he…?

Ryou looks around. He’s standing on a bridge. Tired eyes peer over the railing, looking down at the water. 

His eyes widen.

“A… Amane?”

Pale hands clench at the bars, looking down as his bangs cover his eyes. Down below he sees it… he sees her. He pushes himself further against the railing, body trembling as he tries to get a closer look. His sister, his dear, sweet sister, is there. He reaches forward, but the railing holds him back.

She’s reaching for him.

Ryou’s body moves automatically, climbing up onto the railing. He just needs to get closer…

“Bakura!”

He whips his head around.

Eyes wide, Ryou loses his balance, slipping off the railing and falls. Down into the water below. The water erupts into a giant splash as his body breaks through the surface. Ryou opens his eyes.  He can move, but it stings, the freezing water around him just as horrible as the darkness in his heart. He orients himself and starts swimming up, and when he’s close enough to the surface he sees her.

_ Brother! _

She’s right there, just within reach, calling out to him. He stretches his hand, and she reaches back. But she can't touch him. Sister, why are you so sad? Amane is the only thing he sees now, the only light in this darkness that surrounds him. White hair surrounds her as a halo, and her eyes are filled with sorrow. She's trying so hard to grab hold, her fingertips just a fraction too far away. He understands. He's misses her so much too.

Ryou smiles.

Don't worry, lil sis. I’ll be with you soon.

This is for the best.

He can finally be with Amane, again.

Ryou closes his eyes, letting the cold water take him down.

Down

Down

Down.

Red eyes snap open.

_ That idiot-! That absolute dumb fuck-! Does he  _ **_want_ ** _ to die? _

Pale arms frantically start flailing about, desperate to reach the surface. But he’s fallen too far down. Lungs full of fire and a body that’s frozen to the core. White hair is spiraled around, wild and unruly, glowing in the dark murky depths. The first time he can fully experience this body, all of it's senses... the first time he truly feels alive, and it’s nothing but  **pain** .

Bubbles burst from his mouth, desperate for air. He’s choking, drowning, but he can’t-! He can’t watch this idiot die again.

Because of  **him** .

He struggles and flails with all his might, but this body is weak, so weak. It just wants to keep sinking down, weighed heavy in grief. This is what he caused. This is what he brought on. He doesn’t feel guilty. He has a goal to accomplish. He needs his pawn. He just lost control of him.

…

He’s never had control.

But it can’t end like this! Yet try as he might, he can’t reach the surface. He’s too weak. Red eyes flash, looking up above the mirrored sheen of the water. There. Someone is standing up there. In the darkness he sees it.

A golden flash.

A pyramid, a puzzle...

It’s a sight he’s never wanted to see, not again. 

Flashes of gold, dry, sand, and dark, starry-filled skies. A cloak of red bellows in the wind. A harsh cold clutches onto his soul. And  **he’s** there, standing above him. Always above him. Just out of reach. A haughty fool gifted with the gods’ many blessings. His opposite in every single way. His hand stretches out, refusing to fall to the likes of  **him** . 

But he just keeps sinking.

Down into the darkness. Shadows creep along his skin, caressing, gripping on tight and never letting go. Damnation. This is a tomb of his own design. 

A vengeance that birthed him, now granting him his second death. 

He’s failed again.

A splash. The figure’s jumped in, coming for him. How dare he, he doesn’t need his pity, his charity-! Yet, amongst the anger, darkness, and spite, there’s relief...

His brother’s going to make it.

He's pulled to the surface, coughing furiously, trying desperately to get the water out of his lungs.

“B-Bakura!” Yugi’s voice stutters, teeth chattering like mad. “Bakura, are you okay?!”

He can barely gather the strength to stay conscious, but he needs to. A trembling hand grips at the collar of Yugi’s shirt, pulling tight. He’s only got moments left, his voice is raspy and raw. “You better fucking save him.”

It's all he can muster. Red eyes close, his mind going foggy as the darkness calls to him. His grip goes slack. He’ll willingly relinquish control, just this once. 

He better wake up again.

Dear brother.

\---

He’s falling.

There’s voices all around him. They cry and beg and plead.  _ Mercy, grant us mercy! _ The gods choose to ignore their cries, but he can’t. He hears it all. The weight of their sorrow, their rage, their desperation… it’s pulling him down.

Down further and further into the darkness. A void of nothing. It suffocates him, an icy grip that embraces, that clings to him. The more he tries to fight, the faster, the harder he is dragged down. His body feels like lead, with the weight of his sins bearing heavy and dense. Senses are nearly gone and long since forgotten. He can no longer see, for there is nothing but darkness. He can no longer feel, his touch numb from the ice within him. He can no longer taste, no longer smell...

But he can still hear.

The voices of the damned and the forgotten. They scream. And scream and scream and scream.

Why did this happen?

Why can’t he save them?

Why have they been forsaken? Forgotten?

Why won’t he help them?

When will this nightmare end?

The voices circle all around him. They’re here, yet not. Please, they beg, please save them from this hell.

But he can’t.

No matter how much he tries. There’s nothing he can do. Ultimately, it’s a doomed endeavor. A circle of damnation. He will try. Again, and again, and again. But nothing will change, will it? He’ll claw his way up, screaming the whole way. Only to get knocked down.

Down into the darkness.

He is the darkness now. His soul trapped. His body an illusion. A humanity long since forgotten. There’s a spark, a small, weak flame, inside him. The only fuel to keep him going. To force him to keep going. Again. And again. And again. A cursed soul, forever doomed to descend into darkness. 

Flashes of red. A fire so intense, so bright, it  **hurts** .

The darkness begins to consume him. It’s so cold, but it burns. It hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts. The screams of voices, ignored by all but him, reflect his agony. All he can do is let it consume him, inside and out. Just give in to the darkness…

_ It’ll all be over soon _ .

Brown eyes open. Ugh, he’s so sore. Ryou goes to sit up, but finds he’s too exhausted to move. He’s so uncomfortable. Ryou groggily looks at himself, confused when he sees the IV sticking out of his arm. He looks around briefly, realizing he’s lying in a hospital room. What happened…?

He shudders. It was so cold… he ran off from the carnival and it started pouring out. His brain feels a little hazy as he tries to recall what happened. There was a bridge. When he looked to the water he…

His hands clench. That’s right. He thought he saw Amane…

How stupid is he? It’s a miracle he’s not dead at the bottom of the canal right now. Ryou sighs, sinking back into the hospital bed. It’s far from comfortable, but at least he’s warm. After blacking out, Ryou doesn’t know what happened. Someone must have found him and got him out, at the very least. 

Ryou’s heart clenches. He stares up at the ceiling, so tired. Always so tired.

He shouldn’t have run away. He should have calmed down and stayed with his friends. But of course he didn’t. Of course he chose to run away. Your friends can’t abandon you if you leave them first, after all. Why is it always like this…?

Why is he always alone?

A snore from his right catches him off guard. With wide eyes he quickly turns his head. They’re here-! He stares, in complete shock, at all of his sleeping friends. They’re sprawled out on chairs, each resting in an uncomfortable looking position. Anzu, Jou, Honda, and Yugi. They’re all here, for him. A warmth spreads through his chest. His friends…

His eyes water, tears threatening to spill.

Jonouchi is the first one to stir. The blonde sits up and stretches, face contorting as he yawns. Ryou can’t find his words, only staring dumbly until Jonouchi notices he’s awake.

“Bakura!” he scrambles out of his seat, nearly falling over as he makes his way to Ryou’s bed. “How are you? Do you need a nurse, I can call one for you.”

Ryou can’t help it. He begins to cry, much to Jonouchi’s dismay.

“No, no, please don’t cry Bakura.” He panics, looking for the others who all remain asleep. “I’m sorry, really, for everything that happened! You don’t need to cry, I’m going to make this up to you!”

Forcing himself to calm down, Ryou slowly sits up. He rubs his face, trying to stop the tears as he looks at Jonouchi. “I-I didn’t think you guys would be here.”

His confession must startle Jonouchi, for the blonde looks at him with wide eyes. “What? Bakura we all went running after you! We were so worried. I was really worried.”

Ryou mirrors Jonouchi’s surprise. He’s completely at a loss for what to say.

“I’m sorry, I really am. Friends are supposed to be there for each other no matter what, and be understanding. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that, especially after the episode you had.” Jonouchi has his hands in his pockets, feet shuffling at the floor. “It was wrong of me to snap. I really meant well, honest! We’re just really worried about you, Bakura.”

Ryou’s heart swells. He isn’t used to this, but he’s happy. “...I’m sorry. I’m not… I’m not used to having people worry about me.”

He didn’t realize how his suffering was affecting his friends.

Jonouchi smiles. He puts his hand on Ryou’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “A lot of us weren’t either, Bakura. But that’s what friends do. We help and support each other, no matter what.”

Ryou can feel his eyes well up with tears again. He can’t help it. This is… this is what he’s always wanted. This time Jonouchi doesn’t awkwardly flinch away, instead he pulls over his chair and sits by Ryou’s side. And they sit like that for a while, Ryou crying while Jonouchi comforts him.

“I’m sorry…” Ryou says, rubbing his eyes with the sheets. “I’m just… I’m not… I don't know.”

“It’s okay, we can’t force you to open up and rely on us. But that doesn’t mean we’re letting you run off on your own.” Jonouchi smiles. “If you’re ever ready to talk though, we will listen.”

Ryou slowly nods, giving Jonouchi a shaky smile. He wants to trust them, he wants to be their friend. Maybe one day he’ll be able to open up more. Until then, he can be happy with the knowledge that they ARE his friends, that they care and worry about him.

He’s not alone.

“Bakura!”

Everyone seems to wake up at once, and the next thing he knows he’s surrounded by worried faces and happy smiles. It’s overwhelming but… it feels nice. Warm. He feels so warm. Ryou smiles up at his friends.

“Guys… thank you, for everything.”


	14. Chapter 14

“Alright I admit it, the duel monsters game is actually kind of fun.”

“See, I told you.” Yugi smiles up at Ryou. The two walking together, as Ryou’s finally been discharged from the hospital. “Now, you just need to find a deck that works for you.”

Ryou nods his head, shuffling through the cards Yugi brought for him. “I might start getting packs, see what I find. And you said the others like to play too?”

“Mostly Jou, but Anzu will play with me if I ask.” Yugi folds back his arms, hands resting behind his head. “It’ll be fun if you join too, we could hold mini tournaments together.”

“That does sound nice.” Ryou smiles. “But if today's matches were anything to go by, we may know who the winner will always be.”

Yugi’s face turns pink, embarrassed. He smiles sheepishly, the puzzle jostling slightly before resting against his chest. “I really like the game, that doesn’t mean I always win though. You’ll just need to practice and I’m sure you’ll get better than me.”

For some reason, Ryou doubts that. “That’s alright, it’s not about winning. It’s about having fun, right?”

“Exactly!” 

Ryou laughs at Yugi’s enthusiasm. He never thought he’d find someone who loves games as much as he does, maybe even more so in Yugi’s case. They are pretty similar, as Ryou’s gathered. At first, he had assumed they couldn’t have been more different. All Ryou’s seen is Yugi surrounded by loving friends. And though he may have a spirit, possibly another self, that too, had seemed completely opposite to his own situation.

Yugi's other self seems to be a protector, someone who cares deeply about Yugi and his friends.

While the spirit… only brings him chaos.

Ryou’s eyes find themselves on Yugi’s puzzle. He can’t help it. He knows Yugi told him his other self was prone to violence, and even scared Yugi at times, but Ryou is still jealous. Yugi wasn’t lied to. Wasn’t hurt in the worst possible way.

“Bakura?”

Ryou falters in his step, quickly looking back at Yugi’s face. “Ah, sorry, I spaced out. What were you saying?”

Yugi looks up at Ryou, a contemplative look in his eyes. He bites his lip, looking torn, as if there’s something he needs to say. They continue to walk in silence, until finally, Yugi decides to speak up.

“What… what do you remember? From the other day?”

Oh. Ryou should have known Yugi would want to talk about the incident. Of course he does, everyone’s been so worried about him. He takes a breath, it’s only fair he tells them. He needs to learn to open up.

“I was in a pretty bad place…” Ryou’s eyes fall to the ground. He doesn’t know where to begin. He hasn’t told anyone about… “There’s something I should explain. Could we find somewhere to sit?”

Yugi quickly nods. It doesn’t take long for the two to find a bench. There’s no one out or around them right now, which Ryou is grateful for. This isn’t going to be easy, but Ryou needs to be honest. He needs to let this out.

“When I was young, I lived with my mom and Amane, my twin sister.”

That’s all it takes. One simple sentence and the floodgates have been opened. Ryou admits everything. Losing his family, living alone for so many years, his father practically abandoning him. And then he got the ring. Ryou doesn’t go into too much detail, just enough for Yugi to get the gist. The spirit pretended to be Amane, and slowly drove Ryou insane. Right as things started looking bright, everything was taken away from him, again.

He doesn’t know when he started crying, or when Yugi started hugging him, but he feels relief. Relief that he got it out.

“I-I don’t know what came over me.” Ryou admits, wiping his eyes. “I don’t want to think I’m suicidal. I don’t WANT to die. I just… at my lowest, I thought Amane was there, again…”

“Bakura…” Yugi still has his arms around Ryou, holding him. Ryou leans against him for support. “That’s… wow, that’s so much. It’s amazing you’ve survived through all of that.”

Ryou lets out a dry laugh. “Amazing. I’m sorry but it doesn’t feel that way.”

“You’re strong, Bakura.” Yugi’s words surprise Ryou. “To endure that kind of pain, but still you keep fighting. And you keep trying to be happy. Even if it’s hard, and it feels pointless. You’re still trying.”

Ryou can only stare down at Yugi, speechless. He doesn’t… he’s never felt strong in his life. Ryou’s just a drifter, a being that exists and that’s it. But Yugi doesn’t see him like that? 

“Heh… I wish I could see what you do, Yugi.”

“You will, I’ll help you.” Yugi smiles, and Ryou can’t help but feel warm. “We all will. Even when it gets hard, we’re gonna be here beside you. So keep fighting, okay?”

Keep fighting. That is what’s he’s been doing all this time. He has been fighting. Ryou wants to be happy, he wants to live. Something stirs in his chest, and Ryou holds his hand up, gripping on the fabric of his shirt. Maybe Yugi’s right, maybe he’s not as weak as he believed…

Ryou nods his head. “I’ll try, Yugi.”

Yugi gives him a soft smile. There’s something about the look on his face, Ryou can’t quite pinpoint it. Yet he doesn’t muse over it long, for Yugi speaks up again.

“There’s something else… you know how I said I was the one who pulled you out of the canal?”

Ryou nods again, a grateful smile on his face. “Yes, and I won’t be able to thank you enough for saving me.”

“That’s the thing, I don’t think it was just me.” Yugi looks up at Ryou. “Bakura… the spirit told me to save you.”

Ryou freezes. He could have sworn Yugi just said- “You mean your other self…?”

He can’t possibly mean.

Yugi shakes his head. Their eyes lock, Yugi’s expression serious. “No. The spirit of the ring. From your story, you said you blacked out in the water. When I dived in, your eyes were open… Bakura, I think the spirit was trying to save you.” 

Ryou shakes his head, not looking at Yugi. “That’s not possible. That demon wouldn’t try to save anyone, let alone me.” His voice is bitter, his temper rising. “You must have been seeing things, the spirit shouldn't even be able to surface without the ring.”

The hall of mirrors flashes in his mind, but that was a hallucination. All of it was just in his head. The spirits gone. And even if the spirit WAS back, he’s meant to be in the ring. Ryou refuses to acknowledge the fact he wore it so much... It’s supposed to be if the rings near the spirits near. Simple as that.

He ignores the chill running up his arm.

“Bakura, I don’t want to upset you, but I think you should know.” Yugi stares at him, sympathetic. “Sometimes, even if you’re scared, you need to hear the other side of the story.”

“There is no other side. The spirits gone and good riddance.” Ryou snaps. He sighs, looking down. “I’m sorry… I just don’t want to talk about this, not right now.”

He can’t accept it.

Ryou stands up from the bench. He hears Yugi give a quiet sigh before doing the same. Guilt eats at Ryou, but he doesn’t want to face this. So he won’t. There’s only so much he can handle at once. He starts walking with Yugi beside him, the two falling to silence. They don’t speak up again until they’re standing in front of Ryou’s door.

“If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate. You can call me, okay?” Yugi gives Ryou a small smile. “If you ever wanna drop by and crash at my place, you’re more than welcome, at any time.”

Ryou gives him a grateful smile, nodding his head. “Thank you, Yugi. I appreciate that.”

He really does. The two hug and give their goodbyes. Ryou watches as Yugi disappears before looking up at his apartment. He takes a deep breath, and unlocks the door. At first glance everything looks as it should. He walks inside, kicking off his shoes as he closes the door behind him. Ryou shrugs off his coat, putting it on the rack as he walks down the hallway.

He stops. Beside him is a case, covered by a blanket. Ryou reaches out, pulling off the blanket in one swift motion, his eyes still looking dead ahead. 

The apartment is still.

“...what do you want from me, spirit?”

He refuses to budge. And for a moment, nothing happens. Tensions rise, the hallway entirely quiet, when he notices something move from the corner of his eye.

His reflection turns.

The air is thick. Slowly, Ryou moves, now facing the case, his reflection staring at him. 

His eyes are red.

They stare at each other, eyes locked, neither one budging to break the silence. Ryou’s hands clench tight. 

_ What the fuck is your problem? _

Ryou grits his teeth, eyes narrowing as he glares daggers at the phantom. “My problem? What the fuck is  **your** problem?! Why won’t you leave me alone?!”

_ Do you think I chose this? Don’t think you’re so special kid, the ring fell to you and that’s them breaks.  _ The spirit scoffs, arms crossed over his chest.  _ You must have shit in your ears, I’ve told you we’re bound now. You’re stuck with me. _

“Just fuck off into your stupid ring and leave me alone!” Ryou snaps. “I’m not giving you control over  **my** body.”

The spirits sharp eyes bore into Ryou. He clicks his tongue.  _ Tsk you’re dumb ass would be  _ **_dead_ ** _ if it weren’t for me. You’re a suicidal fool. _

“It’s  **your** fault I’m like this! You’ve ruined my life, you’ve driven me insane- I can’t even look at mirrors anymore without suffering a panic attack!”

_ Before me, you weren’t even alive. You were a corpse. Following the same routine day after day. I came and gave you some fucking spark again, it all could have been great! But no, you decide to become a self sacrificing idiot. I betray your trust so you latch on to the next person that’ll abuse it? Pathetic. _

His anger flares up, causing Ryou to snap as he kicks at the display kick. The dolls inside rattle, but the reflection stays intact. “For once in my fucking life,  **I** got to control my fate. Not you, not my friends, I CHOOSE that. And I’d do it again.”

The spirits eyes flicker, he almost looks... understanding? But he quickly goes back to his disgust, the spirit looking down at Ryou with a sneer. 

_ You’re a fool… _

Ryou glares back at him. “Call me what you like, I don’t care anymore. I’m not going to let you haunt my life anymore.”

He made a promise to Yugi. 

The two stand there in silence. They stare at each other, Ryou refusing to back down. Yet, his earlier conversation with Yugi plays back in his mind. He tries to ignore it, Yugi must have been mistaken. There’s no way that the spirit actually…

Ryou glances away, fists clenched. “...were you there, after I jumped?”

The spirit doesn’t answer him. He shouldn’t have asked. But it’s too late now, so Ryou slowly turns his gaze back to the reflective glass. The spirit has a far off look in his eyes. He’s supposed to deny being there. He’s supposed to sneer and yell and call him an idiot. Why isn’t he doing that?

_ You’re lucky to be alive, brother. _

Ryou tenses up, unable to say a word. No. He can’t possibly mean… 

“You… you tried to save me.”

It came out more as an accusation rather than a question. But he needs to know. And as Ryou looks to the reflection, he sees the spirits body is just as tense as his own, with his hands gripping on his sleeves. Yugi was telling the truth. Ryou doesn’t… he doesn’t know what to do. The demon, this monster, he tried to… he tried to save him. He tried to stop him from drowning. Ryou’s eyes widen. The visions of Amane…

It was the spirit.

“...why?”

The spirit looks away, a scowl on his sharp face.  _...I don’t know.  _

“What kind of bullshit answer is that?” Ryou demands. “What are you trying to pull? What kind of trick is this?!”

_ Not everything I do is a fucking trick! _ His reflection snaps, the spirit throwing his arms out to his sides.  _ I don’t fucking know why I tried to save you. You’re a shitty kid that keeps trying to die! I should have just let you sink to the bottom. _

But he didn’t. Ryou stares at this spirit, this omen of chaos, with wide eyes. He doesn’t know what to think. 

_ I shouldn’t give a damn about you. _

But he does.

Ryou takes a step back, looking away from the case. He thinks about his past conversations with Yugi. He knows it worked out well enough for him but… Ryou can’t just forgive. This could be another trick. He’s hurt him in the worst way. Where do they go from here?

“...spirit, who are you?”

At first he thought his name was Zork, and it might still be. Ryou really doesn’t know anything about who is haunting him. A thief? A guardian? An ancient spirit from another time?

Red eyes close, the spirit looking agitated.  _ I don’t remember… my name. _

Now Ryou’s intrigued. He looks at the reflection, putting his hand on the glass surface. “What do you remember?”

_ What’s it to you?  _ He snaps, his pose defensive.  _ You were yelling at me a minute ago and now you want my story? _

“I think I’m entitled to answers after the hell you’ve put me through.” Ryou’s annoyed, but his tone is patient. “I don’t know what to think of you as. A demon? A ghost? Another personality?”

_ I am the darkness in your heart. _

Ryou snorts, earning a glare from the spirit. “You mentioned ancient spirits trapped in the millennium items. I want to know more about that.”

The spirit looks at him for a long minute, a dark glint shines in his eyes.  _ The one who gathers the seven millennium items will be granted an ultimate power.  _ A grin stretches across his face, teeth sharp.  _ Does that entice you? Do you crave the power of darkness? _

“You’re going to be gravely disappointed, I have no interest in anything like that.”

_ But you’re curious, aren’t you? About the items, about their story. _

Ryou crosses his arms. He won’t admit to that. There’s no way he can give this damn spirit the satisfaction of being right. But he… yes he IS curious. His father sent him a damned cursed item, of course he’s going to be curious about it. And he just happens to befriend another boy with a similar haunted Egyptian relic. There’s more to this, so much more. But neither of these ancient spirits are willing to share.

Or they just don’t remember.

He frowns. Curiosity aside, where does this leave them? It’s been proven he can’t escape this spirit, ring or no. And this spirit has morally questionable motives. 

“We’re stuck, aren’t we.” It’s not a question.

The spirit looks him over, his expression calculating.  _...it appears so. What’s your next move, Ryou Bakura? _

Ryou frowns. His gaze flickers to the door at the end of the hall. The door he’s been avoiding for weeks. He hesitates, then takes a step forward. And though, with his back turned, Ryou can’t see the spirit, he knows he’s still there. Watching him.

He walks into his game room. 

Down on the floor lies the millennium ring. Though his face remains stoic, Ryou’s startled to see the Amane figure lying beside it. When did that get there? He could have sworn he left her piece in his bedroom…

Ryou bends, picking up both the doll and the ring. So much has happened since he acquired the relic, the cursed golden jewelry. Looking back on it all, it’s insane that he’s still standing. He’s suffered so much in these past few months. He puts the doll on the table, setting her next to the other dolls of Yugi, Jou, Anzu, and Honda… and himself. A reminder that he did it. He won. He survived and he won’t be taken down so easily.

The gold ring feels warm in his grasp. Ryou stares down at the eye lying in the center, his expression stern. He places a hand on his chest. And though he can’t feel them through the fabric of his shirt, he knows the scars are still there. He’s been marked. A reminder of his curse.

Fingers rest along the split in the cord. Ryou says nothing as he ties a knot. His hands move automatically, the action more like second nature as he pulls the cord around his neck. The ring rests against his chest, fitting perfectly in place. The weight makes him feel balanced, as if something previous had been missing.

He can feel the spirit watching him.

_ So the game continues, dear brother. _


	15. Chapter 15

A pale hand grips on a sheet. Ryou stands in his bathroom, body tense, as he stares at the covered mirror. It’s time. He can’t hide anymore. He swallows the lump in his throat, the anxiety welling up inside him. No. He’s stronger than he realizes. Ryou can do this.

He pulls off the cover, unveiling the large mirror, now completely exposed.

Brown eyes stare into the mirror, and red eyes stare back.

_Good to see you, brother._ The spirit smirks. _Redecorating?_

A relief washes over Ryou, it's as if a heavy weight’s been lifted from his shoulders. He’s more than accustomed to the spirits snarky banter at this point. Ryou inspects his reflection. It’s been a long time since he’s properly looked at himself. Pale skin, stark white hair, and dark bags circle under his eyes. Alright, he looks dead. He pats down his hair, but the spirit’s still looks unruly and wild. As he moves his hands, he notices the scars that reside there. He inspects the back of his left hand, vivid flashes of his hand impaling the spike of his castle fill his mind. Maybe he should get a different castle. One with a flatter roof. His fingers idly run over the scar, finding the texture oddly fascinating.

The ring glimmers on the counter, catching Ryou’s eye. He looks at the ring, then looks back at the mirror. Gripping on his shirt, Ryou stares stoic at his reflection’s chest.

Ryou removes his shirt. His eyes fall on the scars, fully seeing them for the first time. Five puncture wounds, now scabbed over, rest perfectly aligned with the spokes of the ring. He brushes pale fingers against the scars, a phantom pain causing him to flinch. At the time, he had never felt a worse pain in his life. Yet here he stands. Ryou survived.

_This feels nostalgic._

Ryou looks back at the spirit. They had been quiet for the most part. He had almost forgotten the spirit was still there. Ryou opens his mouth to retort, but stops at the look in the spirit’s eyes. His gaze is distant, seeing past him. What he’s looking at, Ryou doesn’t know. Another mystery to add to the collection. There’s something there, a look Ryou can’t quite place.

It makes him look human.

“A lot’s happened.” Ryou mutters, eyeing each scar on his pale body. Each a reminder of what he’s suffered, yet also a sign of his strength.  

The spirit merely nods, arms crossed over his chest. They stay like that for a while. It’s almost… nice in a way. Ryou fiddles with a lock of his hair, tilting his head slightly.

“Do you think I should cut my hair?”

His reflection stares at him, caught off guard for a brief moment. _You look like a girl._ The spirit chuckles, flashing Ryou a smirk. _It suits you, brother._

Ryou snorts but can’t stop the smile that twinges at his lips. “Yeah I think so too.”

He slips his shirt back on, brushing out his long hair. Of course in the reflection it’s still wild and poofing out like a pissed off cat, so he’ll have to trust he got it under control for now. Grabbing the ring, he walks out of the bathroom, his apartment feeling more open. More like... a home.

Looking to the clock, he realizes Yugi will be here soon. Tension wells up again, knowing full well how much he’s going to dread today. He’s already tired from confronting the mirror, but there’s still more problems he must face. Ryou decided he’s going to start living, he can’t keep hiding from his demons anymore. He has to face them, head on.

But god help him, he does not want to.

A knock at the door stirs him from his thoughts. Oh Yugi’s here early. “Just a minute!” Ryou calls.

He quickly goes to his room, placing the ring on his desk. Right beside it lies his family photo. Mom, dad, himself, and Amane. It’s still… complicated, what with what’s happened and all. But he’s taking his steps forward. Maybe he can’t fully forgive the spirit of the ring, but maybe one day, they’ll understand each other. He’ll have to wait and see.

Ryou heads out of his room and down the hall, opening the front door to reveal Yugi. His short friend is smiling up at him, as friendly as ever.

“Bakura hey, are you ready to go? Or do you want to wait a little bit first?”

He shakes his head, nervously smiling at his friend. “No, we should go now, before I lose my nerve.”

Yugi takes his hand, dragging Ryou out of his apartment. The door closes behind him, and the two make their way out of the complex.

Together they’re walking simultaneously too fast and too slow, each step causing his heart to thump louder in his chest. He’s scared. God he doesn’t want to do this, but he has to. He has to get past this.

Yugi squeezes his hand, a reminder for Ryou to breathe.

Ryou takes a shaky breath, their destination now in view. He can’t do this. They should leave before they’re seen, he’ll make up an excuse. They can try this again later Ryou can’t-

“Bakura…?”

He freezes in spot. Ryou slowly turns his head. Icy blue hair and dark yellow eyes… “Mei.”

What happens next is a blur. Suddenly he’s standing there, arms wrapped around him as Mei holds on tight, his friend starting to cry. He hugs her back, hot tears streaming down his face too. This isn’t what he expected, but all he can do is cry. Ryou looks up as two more people join them. It’s Hina and Kazuo. If it weren’t for Mei clinging onto his torso, he would have fallen to his knees.

“B-bakura where did you go?” Mei chokes out, face buried in his shirt. “Why did you leave?? No one would give us any answers!”

Ryou stares at Mei startled. Why did he go? It’s obvious isn’t it? But his voice catches in his throat, unable to speak. He looks at Hina and Kazuo, eyes full of tears.

“W-what do you mean? Do you guys not remember…?”

Did they forget what he did to them?

Kazuo rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah a lot of it’s a blur. The docs all said we caught some mysterious bug that knocked us out for ages. They don’t know what started it or even what it was, but we all seemed to get better?”

“Bakura, a teacher told us you got into a fight with some students and that’s why you transferred schools. Are you okay? Did that really happen? I’m so sorry.” Hina looks at him worried, and Ryou can only cry more.

“No! Who would ever fight Bakura? He’s the sweetest, nicest boy in our school!” Mei says, still clinging onto Bakura.

Kazuo awkwardly looks to the side. So he does remember some things…

Ryou doesn’t know what to say. Should he come clean? Will they understand? Would he, if he was in their shoes? It’s all too crazy. Ryou doesn’t deserve his friends, he caused them so much grief. They lost so much time in their lives and they don’t even know why. It’s all his fault.

“Bakura…”

He looks at Mei. She smiles, hugging him tight. “I missed you.”

It’s a good thing he has Yugi there to help him, because Ryou just cries. It takes a while, for Ryou to calm down. But when he does, Yugi helps him catch up with his old friends. They talk about life at Domino High, duel monsters, which apparently Hina’s played before, the carnival. And before he knows it, they’re laughing. It’s almost like nothing ever drove them apart. Maybe one day he can come clean to them about what happened, but for today, he’s happy to have his friends again.

Before they part ways, they make plans to pick up where they left off in the campaign. And even make plans to start a new, bigger one, with Yugi and the others, as well. Mei states she’s going to get her parents to let her transfer to Domino too, and Ryou can’t help but smile at his friend’s antics. He’s not sure if she’ll be able to, but Ryou won’t be surprised if he sees her in his class one day.

He’d like that a lot.

And now? He’s walking home with Yugi, smiling. He hasn’t felt this good in so long. All tensions are gone. There’s no weight dragging him down anymore. He feels free.

“Yugi… thank you, for everything.”

Yugi smiles up at him. “That’s what friends are for, Bakura. I’m glad I could help you.”

That’s what friends are for… Ryou smiles more, nodding his head. “I hope one day I can return the favor. You’ve done so much for me.”

“It’s what friends do.” Yugi holds the cord of his puzzle, a soft smile on his face. “It’s something we all learn.”

Something we all learn. Ryou glances at the puzzle before looking at his hand. Could anyone learn that? Ryou isn’t sure. Is it worth it to try…?

“Yugi…” Ryou glances at the ground, carefully thinking out his words. “Do… do you think anyone can learn to rely on others? That anyone has the chance to be good?”

Yugi looks at Ryou, and Ryou stares back. He can see it, a look of understanding. Yugi smiles. “Yes, I do think that, Bakura.”

Ryou looks straight ahead, the sun setting in the distance. The golden light of the sun spirals through pink skies, reminiscent of the ring. He doesn’t know if he can trust the spirit, not after the lies and the deception. But there’s more to that ancient soul than just wickedness and chaos. He grips on his shirt. Whether he likes it or not, they’re connected. Bound together in a mystery far greater than either one of them alone.

They’re brothers.

So maybe that’s why he keeps the ring close. Maybe that’s why he tries. He wants to know more. He wants to figure out these secrets. Does he trust the spirit of the ring? No. But maybe one day, they really will understand each other...

They’ll uncover the mystery of the millennium items.

Until then, Ryou’s going to live his life how he sees fit. He’s going to play games with his friends. He’s going to wake up in the morning and feel like it matters, that HE matters.

And as Ryou sits in his class, feeling refreshed and happy, he muses about how better life has become. It’s not perfect, but as he watches his friends all run into class, minutes before the bell, he smiles. This is his life now, and he’s going to enjoy every minute of it

“Yugi, good morning! Good morning everyone.” Ryou gets up from his seat, carrying over a case covered by a sheet.

“Good morning, Bakura!” Yugi greets after catching his breath.

“What are you carrying?” Jou asks, looking at the case in Ryou’s hands.

Ryou smiles. “There’s something I want to show you guys.”

“Something to show us?” Honda asks, looking surprised.

“What is it?” Anzu asks.

Ryou removes the sheet, showing off the contents of the box to his friends. “I made it myself.”

“Wow, that’s so cool!”

His pale cheeks heat up as he smiles, looking down at the diorama. “It’s a memento of our adventure. Of when we became friends…” he’s a little embarrassed saying this, but everyone is looking at him with warm smiles, setting his nerves at ease. “A lot has happened, and a lot of it hurt but… but I don’t regret it. We’re friends, and this diorama represents that.”

“So please, let’s go to Monster World again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I can't believe I actually finished the fic, it's been years since I've written anything! I know I'm still rusty, but this was lots of fun to do. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it <3


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